Worth Fighting For
by blvedprincess
Summary: AU Future Fic.  Established relationship, told through flashbacks, emails and memories.  Rachel and Quinn are on opposite ends of the country and reminisce about how they got to where they are now.  Quinn kept Beth.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story ever, though I've been a reader on this site for a long time. I'm currently looking for a beta to help me with my insecurities. Reviews are welcome. Let me know what you think...**

**A/N updated: I made a few changes to this first chapter, but it still goes with the rest of the story.  
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_Chapter 1_

Quinn woke up with a start, the remnants of a nightmare still fleeting in her brain like fog on a rainy fall night. Her heart was racing, her eyelids fluttering and she was almost screaming as she was waking up. Without thought, she dropped her left hand to the other side of the bed, only to come up with loose papers, a laptop and her reading glasses. Confused for a second, she finally opened her eyes. This was most definitely not her bedroom or her home.

Then, she remembered; she had flown into Seattle early this morning for a medical conference and finally, after a day of preliminary meetings at the hotel, dinner with her bosses and a last review of her speech and the workshops she was leading, had fallen into bed for a restless sleep. She was far away from New York, her family and anything remotely familiar.

Sighing and breathing in deeply, willing her heart to slow, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and allowed herself to glance at the bedside table. The glaring red numbers seemed to mock her: 3:10AM. If memory served correct, she had only been asleep for a little over an hour. A nap, really, but she knew with the time difference and the stress of being the keynote speaker at this conference, sleep would be hard to find for the rest of the night. She turned on the lamp, blinded for a split second, and then got up to use the en-suite bathroom.

She eyed herself in the mirror for a minute. Quinn had always known she was attractive and at 29 years old, she could finally accept that truth without being conceited about it. Rather, it gave her a quiet confidence she had always lacked in high school. After the rash decision to cut her hair short at Nationals, she had kept the style for the past 12 years, loving the light feeling of it.

Plus, she didn't really have time to fuss over her hair while she was in med school and then doing her residency, which she completed just over a year ago. She splashed cold water in her face, then turned the light in the bathroom off and made her back to the bed. She was now even more awake, understandably so since this was about when she would be getting up in New York.

Or, when someone else would wake her up to be more precise.

Smiling, she picked up her phone, went to her favorites and clicked on Rachel's name. She didn't want to call her this early, just in case she was sleeping later than usual, but Quinn couldn't resist looking at the picture she had saved.

She had just added it last week, taken it without Rachel even knowing. She wasn't even sure if she had seen it yet. Rachel had fallen asleep on their bed, not even bothering to get under the covers or take off her clothes. Exhaustion had taken her over and she was curled up on her side, breathing deeply, mouth slightly open, hair in a loose ponytail behind her. One arm was under her head, while the other, her right, rested lightly but protectively on the small infant boy to her side.

Quinn couldn't help but sigh at the sight at the time, or now. Rachel had looked as exhausted as Quinn felt, with another, identical baby girl in her arm that had just finally fallen asleep but when she saw her wife on the bed, she couldn't help but take the photo.

It was the picture of perfection to her and for the millionth time that week she was asking herself why she was in this non-descript hotel suite and not in their bedroom with her family. But, Rachel and Beth had argued that the conference had been set for months, that they had known the babies would be so little and that they were perfectly capable of taking care of them without Quinn for five days. It was Beth's spring break and she had free time and was more than willing to help out. Quinn was so proud of her in this moment, that she had nodded; eyes filled with tears and hugged her fiercely. She had whispered, "I love you", in her oldest daughter's ear and received a, "You, too, mom" in return.

Thus, she found herself in Seattle for the week, missing her family immensely.

Still shaken from the nightmare she couldn't even remember now, and with sleep coming to her no time soon, she got back in bed, and opened her laptop, which was still running her email program.

Rachel had sent a message about an hour ago, which had Quinn worried. Rachel, as a rule, despised email. She texted and called, that was it. Quinn had never quite understood why, but she also preferred more intimate forms of communication, so she had never questioned that particular trait of her wife. Therefore, for Rachel to send her an email, at that hour, was peculiar and Quinn found herself even more awake and alert than before. She opened the message and calmed down immediately:

_Hey Beautiful,_

_RELAX! Everything is fine here. The twins are okay, Beth is okay, I am okay. Better now?_

_You are probably wondering why I, a self-proclaimed email-hater, am using the barbarish (is that a word?) form of communication with you. Well, funny thing you ask – apparently New York City is not the great center of the universe it once was and a small storm has knocked down all cell networks. Okay, so maybe it was this huge thunderstorm that is still going on, but come on! This is unacceptable and I have already typed out letters to our cell provider and the city as to why they have allowed this travesty to happen. Yes, you can still call 911, but what if I have a real emergency?_ (Quinn chuckled at this – Only Rachel…)

_I digress. If you are trying to call or text me this morning before your speech, I will most likely, unless they fix this mess before then, not available, which is why I am using email. I don't think I've typed message this long since high school, at least college. I have people that do this for me now! And as to why I am still (yes still) awake at this ungoldly hour – the kids wouldn't sleep or even just quiet down. I thought we were past this by now, Beth was sleeping in 5-hour spans by the time she was 3 weeks old. I don't know if it is b/c you were gone (none of the guilt, Fabray, we already talked about this – A LOT) or because of the storm, but neither Olivia or Ethan would go down for longer than a few minutes at most. Beth was such a trooper and stayed up with me all night, I finally got her to lay down about 4 am. Thank goodness it's her spring break, I think I would have to write her an excuse for school today. We did good with her, ya know? I kept telling her to go to bed, but she would say, "Mama, I know for a fact you did this for me when I was this little, so it's only fair I help out now". I think she was trying to make me cry. Well, she succeeded. _

_Anyway – I miss you. I'm sorry this is so long-winded but really you should be used to that now, after 13 years. I hope you knock 'em dead today and I will try to stay in touch with you through email and let you know when the networks are supposed to be fixed. The storm doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon though…_

_We miss you here, hurry home. _

_Love,_

_Me _

Quinn blinked back tears as she re-read the email twice more. She could practically see Rachel being livid, stuck in their apartment overlooking Central Park, with no link to the outside world other than internet or TV. She chuckled quietly to herself before hitting reply and glancing at the clock again. 3:47AM. She wasn't scheduled to speak until 11AM but had to make an obligatory appearance at the brunch beforehand. She really should get some sleep; it would be a long day. She would properly write to Rachel after her speech, but still typed out a quick reply now:

_Hey Baby,_

_It's almost 4AM here and I can't sleep because I'm not home. Why did you make me come here again? Don't worry, I will keep this short and try to get some rest. I'm sorry about the networks, but email isn't so bad. Hopefully we'll get to talk tomorrow. Give everyone hugs and kisses from me, and tell Beth she is not too old for those when she argues! _

_I miss you all more than you know, I am hurrying home. _

_Love,_

_Me_

_PS: Yes, we did good with her. Thank you for that night. Again, and again and again._

She closed out of her email, shut down the computer and put it in her bag. She picked up all the loose papers from her bed and dumped them on the floor next to the bag. Then, she took off her glasses, and shut the light off. One last check on her phone to make sure her 8:30AM alarm was set and Quinn Fabray was going back to sleep with a smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As she drifted into sleep, Quinn found herself thinking about a night a little over 13 years ago. A night that would change her life in ways she could have never imagined then and still had a hard time believing.

It had been Regionals, they had just finished performing their last song, when it happened. Her mom came to talk to her and all of a sudden a pain in her lower abdomen made Quinn double over. The doctor in her now knew all the medical terms of what was happening to her, but back then, she had been a sixteen-year old kid about to have a kid and all she kept thinking that she couldn't do this, she wasn't ready and that she really hadn't made any decisions yet. She had needed more time, time to think, time to talk to someone, anyone, who could help her with this decision, this choice that was now approaching her at the speed of a bullet train.

But life didn't slow down or halt or wait until everything was laid out perfectly and her daughter wasn't waiting either. On shaky legs, supported by her mom and Puck and the rest of the club following them, she had somehow made it to the hospital and into a delivery room. Mercedes was on one side, her mom on the other and Puck somewhere else in the room being completely useless. Quinn screamed and cursed at all of them and somewhere in the back of her mind knew that she didn't want either of these three people with her when her child made it into this world. She had wanted Rachel there, but she had been too damn afraid to voice her feelings and now it was too late and she was about to make a decision that would affect the rest of her life alone.

When the pain began to increase, how that was possible, Quinn didn't even know, she lost all sense of coherent thought and just pushed until she heard the most beautiful sound ever. No mother had ever been so happy to hear a baby cry, Quinn was sure. And no mother had ever been so in love and proud of a daughter she only just met, she was sure of that too. And no mother would ever be able to give this baby girl away, but Quinn knew she had to. What other options were there? Looking at Beth in her arms, with her perfect little smile and eyes, Quinn's resolve melted slightly and she asked Puck and Mercedes to update the Gleeks and her mom to give her a moment alone with her daughter.

Her daughter, her child. Her own. How could she ever give this up? This feeling of absolute love, of knowing she would do anything she had to to keep this tiny human being safe and provided for. Unfortunately, as Quinn studied the face of her daughter, anything at this point in life meant giving her daughter to a complete stranger, hoping and praying for the best. Quinn felt like weeping and laughing at the same time as she had no idea what to do. Then, out of nowhere, Rachel was there, holding her closely, letting her cry while she held her baby, calming her with assuring sounds but never speaking. Later, Quinn would realize how absolutely amazing it was that Rachel Berry had never said a word during her breakdown but that the sight of Quinn Fabray holding her baby daughter had rendered her speechless for the moment.

Of course, that had only lasted so long. Quietly, Rachel had told her about her conversation with Shelby and how she had felt at that moment. How rejected and unwanted and just sad and how Quinn couldn't guarantee Beth wouldn't ever feel like that unless she kept her. How Beth deserved to know her mother loved her and Quinn deserved to tell her and not live with the regrets Shelby had. It was Rachel, who, with her all her talent and determination, told Quinn that Beth had already changed Quinn in the hour she had been with her and how Beth was possibly the best thing to happen to her.

Quinn had cried earnestly again then, and told Rachel how she wanted to keep her _so_ much, but she was still sixteen and in high school and homeless for goodness sake and even if she wasn't, she didn't have money or a plan, just this love for Beth she couldn't even put into words. And it was Rachel again, who told her in no uncertain terms, that her fathers had been asking for months now why Rachel had not offered their guest room to Quinn and who would view it as their privilege to open their home to Quinn and her child. Rachel, who explained to Quinn something no one knew – that Rachel was to inherit an obscene amount of money when she turned 18 from her grandfather who had adored his only grandchild and that she would make Quinn equal to herself in the trust. Quinn had vehemently protested, the old HBIC persona flaring up just a bit, explaining she wasn't a charity case and didn't need pity from anyone, let alone Rachel Berry and her two gay dads. Rachel, undeterred, kept explaining that it wasn't charity, that Quinn would be her equal and it would be Quinn's money as much as Rachel's and that she wanted to do this. To be there for Quinn the way she deserved someone to be there. The way Rachel should have insisted on being there when Quinn rejected her tentative offer of friendship what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Quietly, she added, "I can be there for you and for Beth in whatever way you let me. I can be the best friend, the cool aunt," and then she added almost in a whisper and Quinn wasn't sure she had heard right, "or I can be a parent."

Quinn had just stared at her, and then looked down at the sleeping angel in her arms and back up at Rachel. Then, grasping the singer's hand tightly, she nodded, knowing she was tying her fate to this girl, this woman, in more ways than she probably should have at that moment. But, nothing, nothing had ever felt more right than knowing that this decision would keep Beth with her and maybe, just maybe, it was not too late to put voice to her feelings for the brunette. Rachel had smiled the biggest, most genuine smile Quinn had ever seen on her face and then excused herself to talk with her fathers, who had come with her from the hall the competition had been in. She promised Quinn she'd return soon and with a quick peck to her forehead, left the room. It was so sudden; Quinn didn't have time to respond before Rachel was gone.

As soon as Rachel left the room, fatigue overcame Quinn's body with all the events of the day and she gingerly got out of bed and laid the infant in the bassinet next to her bed. She looked down at her daughter and recounted the conversation with Rachel in her head. Had that really happened? Was it really that easy? Okay, so she was going to live with Rachel and have a newborn baby and school, easy maybe was not the word to use, but easier for sure. When she had had no hope to keep her daughter or to give her the life she deserved an hour ago, she now had possibilities and dreams and options. The whole world was open to them. All thanks to a tiny diva, who refused no for an answer. And Quinn had never in her life been so thankful for Rachel Berry's stubbornness.

The baby made a noise in her sleep, bringing Quinn out of her thoughts and back to reality. "What's wrong, baby girl?" she whispered, leaning down more, running her finger along the baby's face. Beth just opened and closed her mouth, then yawned, turning her head into her mother's touch and went back to sleep. Tears formed in Quinn's eyes and she whispered to Beth, "We'll be going home soon. You and I, we'll make the best family. You'll see. And maybe, if you want her to, Rachel can be part of it too." And the baby, as if she understood, what her mother was saying, had suddenly smiled at the sound of Rachel's name and Quinn took that as an affirmative.

She finally tore herself away from the sight of her baby and turned back to the bed, hoping for some sleep. She had no sense of time left, but it was either really early or really late, depending how one looks at these things. But of course, sleep was a thing of the past now and she better get used to it. There were conversations to be had and Quinn was not looking forward to them. Knowing that the decision she just made would give Beth everything made her feel slightly better, but not much. She had to tell Puck that she was keeping their daughter, but that she didn't want a life with him. She had to tell her mother that she had no desire to move back home, but that she was welcome to be a grandmother to Beth if she wanted to. She had to tell Mercedes she was moving out and moving in with Rachel and somehow she had a feeling Mercedes (or Kurt) would find a way to make even this situation about herself. Sighing, she sat on the bed, looking back at the sleeping child.

She heard a noise from the door and all three of the people she was thinking about were there together. All dog-tired and looking at her with eyes full of concern. Her mother was the first to break the silence, hesitantly walking toward the bed.

"Quinnie – there's a social worker here who wants to start the paperwork for the adoption. They need you to say goodbye now. I know it's hard, but sweetie, but it's for the best."

So the heartfelt declaration just hours ago was all for show. Quinn was not surprised; her mother was always changing her mind about everything. Her father probably would be back in the house before the end of the week. Quinn sat up against the pillows and caught a glimpse of Rachel, standing quietly in the doorway behind Puck and Mercedes, who hadn't noticed her. They smiled knowingly at each other, then Quinn turned to her mother.

"Actually, mom, I don't think so. Beth is staying with me."

There, she'd said it and was pretty proud of herself for sounding, when she was shaking with fear on the inside. Could her mom do anything legally? She was only 16, could her mom make her come home, let them take Beth? She closed her eyes, drawing strength from someplace deep within and opened them again, looking at her mother, then Puck and then Mercedes in the eye.

"I have decided to stay with Rachel. You all can be part of our lives in whatever way you want to be. Puck, you can be her dad, but you can't be my boyfriend, or husband or whatever you want to be to me. I don't feel that way about you, I tried, but I just can't be that with you. Mercedes, I will always owe you, but know that this is about Beth and what's best for her. Not about you and me or our friendship. And mom, I know you don't understand. But please, accept and respect my decision. I can't give her up, I love her too much already and she's only been with me for a few hours. We will be a family and I'll work as hard as I have to for her to have what she needs."

Quinn was wondering if whatever it was that made Rachel talk in paragraphs had somehow jumped over to her. She was breathing deeply by the time she finished and felt like all the fight had gone out of her. All three people looked hurt on some level and she felt awful for being the cause of those looks.

Mercedes was the first to recover, smiling at Quinn, then at Beth and nodding, understanding more than maybe Quinn herself in this moment. She made her way to Quinn, gave her a hug and whispered, "I understand completely. And I'm still here if you need anything, anything at all. I'll go home and get your stuff together to take to Rachel's. Her dads can come get it later. Don't worry about anything, we're cool." Quinn wiped tears yet again from her eyes and thanked the girl who had been nothing short of her salvation the last few weeks of her pregnancy. She knew it wasn't fair, but then life hardly ever was.

Mercedes gave Rachel a squeeze to her shoulder, murmured something in her ear about picking up Quinn's things and then left to meet the rest of the club in the lounge downstairs. Puck had stared at Rachel, confusion plain on his face.

"This is a joke, right? Berry? Quinn, that's my daughter." He sounded angry, not hurt. He was concerned with his reputation, not the wellbeing of the child sleeping not two feet from him. Quinn's resolve strengthened when she answered him.

"She's my daughter too, and this is what's best for her. I'm not saying you can't be part of her life. I want you to be, so much. We just can't be the family you have it in your head we should be." It pained her to tell Puck the truth. It would have been so much easier to lie, to stay with him and not hurt him this way. But Quinn wanted a chance at happiness too, even with the mess her life was right now, she felt she was still worthy of it.

"Well, then, I hope you live happily ever after. Don't count on me, that's so not what I signed up for. I'm out of here."

He all but ran from the room. Quinn, who had expected something like this, still felt like sobbing after his outburst, but Rachel was there again, holding her hand and running her fingers up her arms. Somehow that simple action calmed her instantly, and Quinn was wondering how she had made it through the last nine months without the calming touch of one Rachel Berry.

Her mother was left with the two girls, staring at Quinn like she had just grown another head, but she wasn't confused. She was disgusted that her daughter would choose this life. Quinn knew exactly what she was thinking and she prayed her mother would have the decency of just walking out of the room and her life, and not verbally assault her and Rachel and Beth. Especially not Beth. Quinn wasn't sure what she would do if that would happen. The light touch on her arm returned and she was calm again.

Leaning in close, Rachel whispered quietly to the blonde, "Whatever happens, you're coming home with us. Daddy's friends with the police chief and already talked to him about you living with us while being a minor. They'll work it out. She can't make you do anything, she can't take Beth. So don't worry." Quinn wanted to ask her if she really did have a sixth sense, how she had known what was gnawing on Quinn's mind and how to say exactly what she needed to hear to calm instantly. Quinn still looked at her mother unblinkingly, waiting for what was inevitable speech.

"Quinnie – you can't be serious. You're a child; you cannot possibly know the sacrifice and dedication it takes to raise a child yourself. Think about it, what will happen to you? Ms. Berry and her fathers will tire of taking care of you eventually. They're not family, they aren't obligated to be there for you."

Quinn vowed right then and there that Beth would never ever feel like Quinn had been obligated to do anything for her. She wanted her daughter, their life together. Whatever that meant.

"Give your baby to a family that really wants her, that can love her. Come home with me, we'll forget this ever happened. We can get you a personal trainer and you can be back on the Cheerios first week of school in the fall. Then you'll win Prom Queen and everything will work out the way it was supposed to. Now, let me get that paperwork for you to sign…"

She turned to leave. And Quinn had had enough. She breathed in deeply, looked at Rachel, who just smiled at her again, nodded and left the room quietly. Then, with a quick glance at the baby who was still sleeping serenely, Quinn faced her mother.

"Mom, I'm only going to say this once. So please, hear me when I'm saying that Beth is staying with me. She is my daughter, my responsibility, and I am her mother, if you accept that or not. I wanted you in her life, but after this little speech you just made, I'm not so sure anymore. We will be at the Berry's, should you change your mind about knowing your granddaughter at all. If not, please don't bother getting in touch with me. We're done here."

Quinn finished resolutely, no tears in her eyes this time. Her mother looked like she was about to laugh, but stopped herself when she saw the look on Quinn's face. The look of a mother who would do absolutely anything to keep her child safe.

"Well, don't come running back home when it doesn't work out. We'll put your things into storage. I will mail you the key."

With that, Judy Fabray walked out of the room and out of her daughter's and granddaughter's lives forever. Quinn felt like crying again, but she had done that for the better part of the whole day and she just wanted to sleep. Finally, with one last look at her daughter, who had slept through all the drama of the last hour, she allowed her eyes to flutter shut and fell into a blissful dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all for your comments, favorites and alerts. It's truly humbling to me that anyone would read and enjoy what I write. I want to thank my beta, grownupspashley, for doing an amazing job helping me. I hope you enjoy this one. I'm hoping to update fairly regularly from here on out. Please review! **

Chapter 3

At 10AM New York time, Rachel woke up groaning, feeling bone-tired even before she opened her eyes to the annoying light. By habit, she picked up her phone, only to remember the network was down, and with it, the only civilized form of communication. She really should have let Quinn install a homeline, but who still had those nowadays? Well, it really would have come in handy right about now. She needed to hear Quinn's voice, telling her it was no big deal, that there was a life before cell phones and email and Internet in the palm of your hand.

Rachel knew it wasn't as a big deal as she was making about it, maybe she wouldn't send her complaint letters after all. It was just inconvenient timing, what with five week old twins who were tired and cranky and adorable and sweet all in one (or two) and Quinn being out of town for the whole week. Rachel had counted on phone calls at bedtime, with Quinn's soothing voice singing the babies to sleep and calming her at the same time.

But alas, things never seemed to go the way she imagined, and not only were the babies scared and crying from the admittedly really bad storm, the network had gone down with it. Beth had gone online and found news that they were working on it, but that it might be out the rest of the week. Rachel sighed, pushing herself up wearily after sleeping for just a few hours. The babies were quiet for now, and Beth was still out cold after staying up rocking Ethan for hours.

Rachel smiled as she made her way down the hall into their spacious kitchen and contemplated making coffee. Quinn usually made it, or Beth, and Rachel could never quite get it right. She decided against it, and got out the fresh orange juice they had picked up yesterday before the storm hit. She was glad they had provisions. Maybe being stuck inside wouldn't be so bad. She just hoped it wasn't going to be the whole week. With that thought, she turned on the TV in the kitchen, already tuned to the weather channel. The news wasn't good. From what she gathered, there was a system of thunderstorms moving through the region and it was supposed to rain for the better part of today and tomorrow.

"Great, just great. I thought it was 'Spring Break.' Doesn't Spring mean nicer weather?" Rachel knew she was talking to herself, even in her over-tired mind. Shaking her head to wake up more, she changed the channel to CNN, hoping for some news about the cell networks. The anchor was finishing up a story about the weather and its consequences and Rachel caught the tail end. Apparently, the network failure was unprecedented and no one was really prepared for such widespread outage.

"Well, no kidding, Captain Obvious." Again, with the talking out loud. Rachel listened more as she moved around the kitchen, grabbing a banana from the counter and sitting down on one of the barstools that lined the island. The companies were working non-stop to fix the problems, but had to rely on email and landlines to communicate and it was slow moving. The earliest anyone would have service again was Friday. Today was Tuesday.

The word "email" made Rachel perk up. She had sent a note to Quinn before she finally crawled into bed last night (more like this morning), apprising her of the situation. Rachel couldn't even remember the last time she had signed onto her email account, it had been so long. Thankfully Quinn had her password and screen name saved and she didn't have to create a new one.

She hated email. She could never capture the tone of what she meant to convey and was always afraid she was saying too much or not enough in her message. Thus, as she moved through college and finally into a thriving career, she relied more on plain old calls and now had a capable staff who handled emails for her. However she was thankful that she was able to get the message to Quinn last night. She knew the blonde would be worried sick all day if she was unable to get Rachel on the phone this morning.

Rachel smiled to herself again; Quinn was so protective and anxious now that their family had grown by two. Rachel understood completely; _she_ was having the same feelings. She had known it would be difficult to get her wife to attend the conference that had been set for months with the babies this small, but in the end it had been Beth that convinced her they were going to be fine. _Beth_ – the brunette wondered how any of their lives might have been different without her.

_Well I know I'd be utterly miserable_, she thought and felt her eyes tearing up. She had been doing that a lot lately – latent hormones from the pregnancy. Only when she said that, Quinn gently reminded her that she'd always been a crier. She usually got smacked with a pillow for that comment.

Rachel got up from her seat and moved out of the kitchen, shutting off the TV so the aparment was engulfed once again into comfortable silence, save for the rain outside. She could hear faint thunder somewhere and knew it was going to get worse again before too long. She checked the nursery one more time; both babies had finally cried themselves to sleep after fighting fatigue for too long. They looked peaceful now, as if they hadn't been screaming at the top of their lungs a few hours ago. Rachel wondered how something so loud could come from something so small. She knew she should really get them up to feed them and work on getting them back into their "normal" schedule they'd been working on for the last week, but she was too tired and they looked too serene to wake up. She figured she'd let them sleep for another hour, if they lasted that long.

She checked on Beth next, two doors down from the nursery. Her door was still open; the teenager hadn't even bothered shutting it when she went to sleep. Rachel found her on her bed, her head buried in so many pillows Rachel wondered how she was breathing. Beth had the long blonde Fabray hair and, save for the piercing gray eyes, was a carbon copy of Quinn. Just in looks though; her personality was all Rachel with some of Quinn's moderation woven in.

Beth was the ultimate trump card when the "nature vs. nurture" argument would come up in conversation, which was more often that Rachel would care to admit, given their unique family situation. Right now though, Beth resembled Quinn more, looking as if she was concentrating very hard even while she slept. Rachel moved closer to the bed and sat down on the side gingerly, careful not to disturb her sleeping daughter - _their_ daughter. She smoothed some of the hairs on Beth's head and leaned down to kiss her cheek, the only place visible under the mountain of pillows. Beth murmured in her sleep, and Rachel whispered quietly, "Sleep a little while more, angel. We'll have to do it all over again soon."

With that, Rachel got up, pulled the curtains shut to darken the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Then she moved to the end of the hallway to the home office she shared with Quinn. They each had their own desk and Rachel had long given up on coordinating any décor in this room. Quinn's desk suited her perfectly; light wood without any frills or even drawers. Everything was perfectly organized, with medical texts lining the shelf behind her and her Macbook Pro sitting in the middle of the desk. Well, usually it was, but Quinn had taken it to the conference, along with most of the papers that usually sat next to it. The chic modern look was completed by a white desk chair that looked deceptively comfortable, but gave Rachel a backache after ten minutes. Quinn loved the simplicity of it all.

Rachel's desk, directly opposite, was made from rich, dark, mahogany wood, with drawers on each side, scripts and sheet music strewn on all available space. Instead of a bookshelf, there were several framed playbills behind her well-worn leather desk chair, which she had had since her first year at Julliard and was not planning on giving up anytime soon. Or ever. She did cave in and buy a matching Macbook Pro when Quinn had to upgrade hers, even though she had hardly used during the last two months.

The three weeks prior to her delivery had been chaotic, with Quinn working double shifts to save up leave time for when the babies came and Rachel had put in as much time as she could with her understudy to fully prepare her for her show. Thankfully, the costume designer in her current show was a genius and even at eight months pregnant, Rachel had been able to perform, but had bowed out as she began her last month . On top of everything else, Beth had been cast in her school's spring musical and Rachel was asked to come work with the cast there as well.

When the twins finally arrived, it was almost nice just to have to worry about them for a while, though Rachel knew if she told anyone outside of her family that, they would just look at her funny . Yes, the last eight weeks had been _challenging_, but she wouldn't trade it for anything. They were living the life they had always wanted, though no one except those in their immediate family ever thought they would actually make it.

Listening for any noise from the kids' rooms, Rachel relished the silence. She thought how odd it was and how it had taken thirteen years, marriage, and three children for her to appreciate stillness. She sat down and dug her laptop out from under the script she had been asked to read by an up-and-coming playwright. So far, she'd made it two pages into the play, babies taking precedence to art for the moment. She'd eventually circle back around to it; she always did find time for young talent.

Rachel opened her laptop and checked her email for the second time in a few hours time. This really was turning into an interesting week. She had a generic message from the cell network provider, stating they were aware of the problems in the coverage and working on resolving them as soon as humanly possible. She also had a message from their Internet provider, suggesting to use video chat to communicate with loved ones while the cell networks were down and a quick tutorial on how to use it.

Rachel's interested perked up; why hadn't she thought of that? That would solve her problems at bedtime and the twins could see Quinn's face. It would be great! Then, as quickly as her excitement had risen up, it deflated. There had been some kind of problem with the camera on Quinn's laptop; she remembered a quick conversation last week as they were bathing the twins. A colleague of Quinn's needed a consult and they tried using video chat because Quinn didn't want to make the trip to the hospital, knowing she would be there much longer than she planned on. Quinn mentioned the camera wasn't working and wondering if it was still under warranty. She'd had the laptop for at least six months but never tried the camera before. Rachel wondered if her wife had fixed it, but knowing how little sleep the blonde had had between caring for the children and getting ready for the conference, she knew with almost complete certainty that the answer was no.

Rachel moved through the messages, glad that this was her personal account and not the one she used for work. She could only imagine how many emails she was getting there and was thankful her assistant would take care of most of those. She did have a message from Haley, said assistant for the past five years, asking her if she needed anything and to get in touch with her through video chat or email if she did. Rachel was beyond grateful for her, knowing there were probably requests for interviews or other work-related things in the pipeline, but Haley knew to shield her boss from those requests for now. The diva still had almost three months before her maternity leave was up, and though she had vowed to not worry about work much, she found she missed the stage . But she knew she needed to be home for a while and it was a trade she made gladly. Nothing was better than this time with her children. She could always have the stage; the kids were this age only once.

Finally, she saw Quinn's email and read it quickly. Leave it to her wife to answer her page long rant with five sentences. They really did balance each other out perfectly; they were strong where the other one was weak and had learned everything about each other since that fateful night after Regionals. Quinn's P.S. made Rachel think about her decision to share her grandfather's money with the young mother, not knowing how things would go from there. That _she _would end up in New York was inevitable, but that Quinn would be with her, would be _hers_ and that they would be a family? That was something not even Rachel had dared to imagine.

Rachel had never thought much of the money; she didn't have access to it at all growing up, and her fathers only told her about it when they felt she was old enough to understand how to use it responsibly. Even at 12 years old Rachel had been an old soul, and had perfectly understood that if she made the money public knowledge she would suddenly find herself with a plethora of "friends." Therefore, instead of using her wealth as a shield of sorts from the bullying and slushies that kept coming her way, she chose to keep the knowledge to herself. She wanted friends that wanted her for herself, not for the trust fund in her name.

Her fathers had told her that her grandfather had come to the United States from Poland after escaping the Nazis and changed his last name to Berry. A neighbor in his village had hidden him at great risk to himself and his family, and gave Rachel's grandfather exactly half of the money he had saved. Though not much by any standards, somehow it got Rachel's grandfather on a boat to the United States, literally saving his life. Once in the U.S., he found work, married and had three children one of them Rachel's daddy, Hiram. He used the same determination he had to stay alive to provide for his family. Clever investments and a shrewd mind - all very stereo-typical Jewish things - had let to great wealth for the family, though they were never showy with it.

Hiram's college fees had been covered, as had his home, but he still held a job to pay for his other expenses and worked hard on receiving his medical degree with highest honors. After graduation, he explained to his father he no longer needed his financial assistance and to give anything he were to give to him to put in a trust for grandchildren. Rachel's grandfather had agreed, and Rachel's trust had grown over the years.

She was destined to be the only grandchild in the family, which was curious considering the circumstances of her conception. Her grandfather had stipulated that Rachel would come into the money at eighteen and had urged her before he passed away to use it wisely. He knew she was a smart girl and wasn't going to jet set the world, but reminded her of his own youth and how one person's sacrifice had meant life and comfort for all of them.

Rachel had never forgotten his words, and when she made her way through the hospital hallway that night to talk with Quinn, she resolved to use the money finally. She had braced herself for rejection and had mentally prepared a speech to convince Quinn of the benefits of accepting her help. She had forgotten all of it when she found herself in the blonde's room, seeing Quinn carefully cradling her newborn daughter as if she was the most precious thing in the world, which she definitely _was_.

Quinn had been crying silently, anguish plain on her face. Rachel quickly made her way to the bed and took the blonde in her arms, never mind they'd never hugged or shared more than a couple of civil words to each other in their whole lives. But Rachel had always had feelings for the blonde, feelings that she couldn't quite place at that time. All she knew was that she had to offer the young mother another way out of her situation. She held Quinn as she held Beth for what seemed like hours, thought it could have only been a few minutes. Then, composing herself, she explained everything; about Shelby, her own adoption, and her trust fund, insisting the whole time that "no" wasn't an option.

Quinn had protested, of course, but in the end had accepted. Rachel felt that nothing in the world could stand in their way then, though they would both quickly learn that plenty would. Rachel wasn't there for what happened between Judy Fabray and Quinn, but her wife had filled her in on enough of the conversation a few years later to make Rachel furious and glad that New York was not anywhere close to Lima.

The brunette heard faint stirring over the baby monitor and hit reply in her email program, wanting to wish Quinn good luck one last time before her speech. She knew her day would be packed and the babies would keep them busy here, so it seemed that email would be the only thing to keep them in touch for the foreseeable future.

_Hey Beautiful_,

_I hope you got some rest - dealing with the time change must be horrible. I promise I will make up for you not being home. BUT I didn't __make__ you go anywhere, Beth and I merely used perfectly logical arguments to convince you that we are more than capable of taking care of two small children by ourselves for a few days. We miss you though; I could tell Ethan in particular misses your voice. He would only quiet down for Beth - I think he might have thought she was you with her blonde hair. _

_I have no news on the network front, though CNN was saying it could be out the whole week. I'm just glad both of us are on maternity leave right now - could you imagine if we had jobs to worry about? Haley already emailed me (aren't you proud of me?) and told me everything was fine and not to worry. I really need to give her a raise when I go back to work. Remind me, would you? I thought about using video chat for you to sing to the babies but then remembered your camera. You never fixed that, right__? _

_Anyway, I can hear the babies waking up; they're probably hungry, it's way past their "normal" time. I can't wait to hear how the speech went; I am so proud of you and of being your wife. Write back soon? I love you. _

_Love,_

_Me_

_PS: I was just thinking about that night too. Crazy it turned out this beautiful__, right__?_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I apologize for the wait, but I really wanted to get this chapter right before I put it out there. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but the next chapter is almost done and will be posted within a week or so. Thank you to all who have reviewed and alerted and put this on their favorite list. It really does mean a lot. So if you like this one - please leave me a note or review.  
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Chapter 4

Four hours later, Rachel was amazed that the twins were asleep again at their regular naptime. Maybe, just maybe, she and Beth would get some real sleep tonight. They were currently in the living room, Beth sitting on the floor with her laptop open in front of her with her back to the couch. Rachel was lying down, trying to concentrate on reading the new script, one hand absently running through Beth's long hair. It was a habit she had started when the girl had been fussy as a toddler, and now it calmed both mother and daughter.

Beth was humming a melody from _West Side Story_ softly under her breath, which her school was currently putting on. Rehearsals were on hold for Spring Break, but the teenager was still working on her part, researching with old videos of other school productions. She had her earbuds in and was humming along with '_I Feel Pretty'_ as she watched it.

Rachel approved and encouraged Beth wholeheartedly in her extra efforts, but was glad she didn't have rehearsals this week and they had some quiet time together. Beth's artistic ability was exceptional; with Quinn and Puck's genes and Rachel's guidance, she was poised to attend the best fine arts school in the City next fall. She had been dancing since she was three and was on her way to being even more accomplished than Brittany had been in the Glee club's heydays, which was a feat in itself. Rachel and Quinn were proud parents; always telling her so and never forgetting that it was Beth that had ultimately brought them together in both their darkest and brightest hour. Beth, with her innocent smile and gray eyes, had changed their lives for the better in the span of a few hours.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After being released from the hospital after the mandatory twenty-four hour observation period, Quinn and Beth moved into the Berry's guest room, which was directly opposite Rachel's. The men had picked up the blonde's few possessions from the Jones's house earlier, outfitted Rachel's Prius with a car seat, and picked up everything on the WebMD and Parent Magazine's lists for parents of newborn babies. Quinn had been overwhelmed, feeling ashamed of being too poor to provide these things for her own child, but most of all she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward this family that owed her nothing, yet treated her and Beth as if they were everything.

Judy Fabray's words echoed in the back of her mind,. On some level she was waiting for the day that the Berrys grew tired of the midnight feedings, the tantrums, the never ending piles of laundry and Quinn's lingering sense of guilt for what she felt was taking advantage of her friend. Yet days turned into weeks and into months and neither Rachel nor her fathers ever raised their voice or made any indication that they wanted Quinn to leave. Before she knew it, summer had passed and it was time to go back to school. Quinn had been allowed, with Mr. Schuester's help, to finish sophomore year from home and was set to begin her junior year with Rachel.

Neither Quinn nor Rachel ever brought up the whispered conversation in the hospital room the night of Beth's birth. Although a few words romantic affection had been uttered that day, Rachel was afraid to push the blonde, knowing Quinn's life had radically changed in the span of a few days and bringing up Rachel's feelings while she was getting used to it would have been selfish. Instead, she was endlessly patient with the young mother and quickly fell in love with the blonde baby as well. Beth was the light in all of the Berrys' lives from the moment Quinn brought her home, and none of them could ever imagine living without the Fabray girls again.

Rachel had quietly agreed with her fathers to set up a separate trust for Quinn and Beth so the blonde didn't feel dependent on any of them. Since Quinn was a mother now, she would have access to her money right away and wouldn't have to wait until she turned eighteen. When they broached the subject with Quinn over dinner late in the summer, she accepted with a quick look at Rachel, thanking them profusely. She took the paperwork, but never opened it to look at the sum. By the time school started, Rachel knew she still hadn't looked at it.

They had established a routine over the summer that everyone was comfortable with, but with school beginning again, it was due to change. Quinn wanted Beth with her at school and thought about putting her into the small daycare the adjacent elementary school had. Rachel argued that Beth would be much better off in the daycare at Lima General Hospital where Hiram worked, where she could be around family, and should she hurt herself while Quinn was at school, she was in good hands. In the end, they compromised and Beth would go to daycare at McKinley Monday and Friday and with Hiram the other days.

Though they never did have a conversation establishing their respective roles in the child's life, both girls knew they were her parents. Neither of them wanted to bring it up until necessary, as to not disturb the quiet life they had established over the summer. Rachel was thankful and anxious at the same time; she knew they needed to have a conversation soon, but was unsure how to begin. She wanted to talk to Quinn about the future, because her Julliard audition was this year. She had never questioned her life plan before, but now it wasn't just her she had to think about. At least she hoped it wouldn't be just her.

Quinn, on the other hand, was thinking about the future all the time, but wasn't broaching the subject either. She fell more in love with the baby girl with each passing day, and knew she had to start making some decisions about their future. With money worries out of the picture - something Quinn had _never _imagined - the world was open to her. Ironically, that was also the reason Quinn was stalling, unsure what to do. Had she given up Beth and moved back in with her mother, all she would have had to worry about was her popularity and winning Prom Queen. Life would have been easy. She would have breezed through the last two years of high school, then attended some state school with a cheerleading scholarship, received some keg major degree, and through her family's connections would have landed a decent job close to Lima. It had been perfectly planned out. But now nothing in her life made any kind of sense; all except the fact that Quinn was determined to be a mother Beth would be proud of.

The Berrys had been amazing the last three months, never once giving Quinn reason to doubt their devotion to herself and her daughter. And _Rachel_ – the girl was as much a parent to Beth as Quinn was. Sometime over the summer, she couldn't pinpoint the time exactly, Quinn realized beyond a doubt she wanted Rachel to be there forever with them, for the three of them to be a family. There were several issues with this dream though; Rachel was going to New York after high school, and Quinn didn't know where she would be headed. Did Rachel want her to come with her? Was it too much to ask the sixteen-year-old Broadway-bound diva to change her whole life plan for her? Did Rachel feel that way about her at all? And were Quinn's feelings genuine, or had they just intensified due to their living arrangements and the gratitude she felt towards the brunette? Quinn knew she wouldn't say anything to Rachel before she knew her own feelings were absolutely real, not borne out of some sense of obligation. Rachel deserved that much, and Quinn was hell-bent on making sure Rachel got everything she deserved.

Yes, they were friends now, sharing late night talks about Quinn's family, her insecurities about being a mother and her resolve to be better than her own. These talks resulted in Rachel opening up, showing Quinn a side no one ever saw, a completely different side of the diva, whose eyes misted over when she spoke of Shelby, but who also fiercely loved her fathers and would defend her family with a righteous anger Quinn had never seen in her. Quinn thought no one could be better for her and Beth than Rachel. They were friends, but were they ready to be more? Oddly, the fact that Rachel was a girl was the last thing on her mind.

Rachel had been the only one there for her this summer, offering everything without asking for anything in return. None of the other Gleeks had so much as called her, save for Mercedes, who still texted her at least once a week and had come by a few times, always bringing something for Beth. Quinn hadn't really wanted to see anyone from school, her main focus on caring for her child, learning which cry meant what and trying to get the infant on a regular schedule before school started. Be default, most of her time was spent with Rachel, who helped with feedings, diaper changes, bath times, and never once complained. The diva seemed solely focused on helping Quinn be the best mother she could be, not even broaching school or Glee during the summer months.

Rachel's feelings for the former cheerleader had also deepened over the summer though she was much more secure in them. Having been raised in an open home, she had been taught to accept love in all its forms and dismissed any discomfort about them both being girls very quickly. As each day passed and Beth and Quinn became more part of their family, she found herself wishing for more. Rachel had a feeling Quinn reciprocated her feelings on some level, but knew something was holding her back. She figured it was a combination of growing up in an overly zealous religious home, having a newborn to care for, and fear of being rejected yet again. She also had no idea how to bring up the subject to Quinn, with their friendship really just beginning. Rachel under no circumstances wanted to make things awkward for the blonde, who had lost so much and was finally acting like she thought of the Berry home as her own.

So, both girls quietly contemplated their feelings as the summer passed. They cared for Beth, talked late into the night. Rachel encouraged Quinn to take up working out again as soon as she was physically able to after giving birth. She knew it would give the blonde an outlet she needed after dealing with yet another crying tantrum and would improve her confidence. Quinn quickly remembered how much she loved a good run and though summer was hot, she preferred the feel of her feet hitting the pavement and trails around the Berry's home to Rachel's elliptical.

In early August, as she was rounding the corner to return home, it hit her. She had been thinking about school and what she still needed to do to get ready. Books she needed to pick up for the AP English class she was taking. Signing Beth up for daycare. Asking Rachel if she could make a CD of some of her songs to give to the teachers…

Sometimes Beth would only go down for a nap with Rachel singing to her. Quinn couldn't remember how many times she had reluctantly woken up the brunette over the last three months asking her to sing to her child. Rachel always just smiled, rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, taking the fussy child out of Quinn's frustrated arms and told Quinn to lay down in her bed. Quinn would stay in Rachel's room those nights, while Rachel stayed in Quinn's.

As she was making her mental to-do list, she realized how much a part of her life the tiny diva had become and how it was always Rachel who she wanted to talk to when something good happened or Beth laughed a different way. She realized that Rachel's personality complemented hers in every way and she could finally be herself with someone without fear of being judged. Stopping in the driveway to stretch her tired muscles after her run, Quinn realized her feelings for the brunette were not just gratitude or indebtedness for a sum she still couldn't look at. Her feelings _were_ genuine and as real as her love for her daughter, though so different.

Quinn felt a grin forming on her face. She felt like the pieces were finally fitting together. She would talk to Rachel today, as soon as possible. Though she knew the diva loved her and her child, Quinn wasn't sure if she wanted more. But Quinn had had enough regrets in her life to know that one awkward conversation, if that was all it amounted to, would not ruin her friendship with Rachel.

Opening the door to the house, she listened for any noise. It was still early; she had gotten into the habit of running to get her day started and figured with school starting at 8AM, she needed to be done with her run by 6:30 to get Beth and herself ready in time. Today was Saturday though. School was starting in two days and even Rachel wanted to sleep in one last time before Junior year began. Quinn had long given up on ever sleeping in again; that was a luxury she no longer afforded herself, but was glad Rachel was getting some rest. The singer had stayed up late with her every night this week; Beth had had an ear infection and been especially hard to get to sleep.

In fact, Rachel was with Beth right now; Quinn had settled the girl down before she left for her run and left the baby monitor on Rachel's nightstand. Not thirty seconds later, as she was stretching downstairs, she had heard Rachel making her way into Quinn's room, no doubt wanting to be close to Beth and make sure she was okay. Quinn had smiled to herself, so thankful to have someone who would care so much for her baby.

When she had made her way to her room, she quietly opened the door not to awaken her daughter or the other sleeping beauty in the room. Both looked adorable, Beth in the crib under the window, both her tiny hands balled into fists, a very concentrated look on her face. Rachel was curled in a ball on Quinn's bed, still holding the baby monitor in her hand, though that was obviously unnecessary. Smiling again, Quinn pried the monitor from Rachel's hand, put it on the charger next to her bed and sat down on the edge. Rachel's sleep was deep and she made no move as Quinn quietly studied her profile.

"Hey, there sleepy head. Time to wake up," Quinn said quietly, her hand running through Rachel's dark hair. The girl mumbled something that sounded like, "Five more minutes, Daddy," and the blonde chuckled next to her.

"I'm not your Daddy, sweetie. C'mon, wake up, already." Quinn nudged her shoulder a little harder and Rachel opened her eyes very reluctantly, not looking at Quinn, but the alarm clock first.

"Why in the world are you so awake? I thought young mothers are supposed to have less energy? Isn't today let-Rachel-sleep-as-long-as-she-wants-to-day?" By the time she was finished, Rachel was wearing an adorable pout that coupled with her bed head made her look so young and beautiful it almost took Quinn's breath away. The blonde could only hope to see this amazing woman next to her for the rest of her life. But first things first.

"It is, and I promise you I will make it up to you. I was wondering if I could take you to breakfast? To that vegan place you told me opened downtown? We could talk." Quinn finished hopeful; she now had the full attention of the other girl who looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite pinpoint. Rachel looked worried, as if Quinn had bad news to deliver.

_Smooth, Fabray, way to ease her into the idea of being more than friends. Now she's terrified of what you have to say, _Quinn thought as she looked at Rachel.

"Rach, it's nothing bad. We just haven't really had any down time this week with Beth being sick. And school's just going to make things even busier. I thought we could just chill for this morning, ya know, pretend we're only sixteen and have no responsibilities?" Quinn grinned at the last sentence, knowing only half of that statement was true. She couldn't remember what "no responsibilities" felt like, yet she felt oddly at peace knowing she had been entrusted, by God or whoever was calling the shots at life, to care for Beth.

Rachel didn't know what to think. 'We need to talk' or a variety of the phrase was never a good opening line to any conversation. Was Quinn moving out? Had Puck called her and convinced her to be with him? Not that they had seen the boy once since he walked out of the hospital room that night; he hadn't shown up to school again and Mr. Schue had told the Glee club he had left town for a while and had taken his finals early. No one had questioned it at the time.

At least ten different scenarios were going through the singer's head when Quinn told her she just wanted a morning out with a friend. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief and nodded enthusiastically, fully awake now. She had wanted to try the new - and only - vegan restaurant in Lima, and had hoped to go during their last week off. But Beth got sick and Rachel had forgotten all about it when trying to make the miserable little girl feel better.

Quinn was relieved to see Rachel agree to their outing. "Yeah? Great. Let me shower and then feed Beth and maybe your dads will be up then to watch her?" She got up as she was talking, practically bouncing around the room, getting an outfit out of her closet before moving into the bathroom.

"I'm sure we can convince them to let us pretend to be two sixteen-year olds without a care in the world," Rachel replied grinning. She had no idea what brought on this sudden enthusiasm for breakfast, but she would never turn down alone time with Quinn. Sure, they'd shared plenty this summer, but most of it was spent in this room, with Beth never far away. A morning out would be nice before school started. She turned down the covers of the bed and went into her own room to get ready, checking to make sure Beth was still asleep on her way out.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N1: I am so sorry for the long wait. But this is an important chapter and I didn't want to rush through it. For your wait, it's a long one! Hope you enjoy it.**

**A/N2: I am once again in need of a beta reader. If you are interested, please PM me - I could really use the help! **

Chapter 5

After a quick twenty-minute workout on her elliptical and a shower, Rachel entered the downstairs kitchen where she found Quinn, feeding Beth with a bottle. They had long agreed breastfeeding was not going to be feasible with their schedules and Beth being in daycare. Though Quinn regretted it, their situation was what it was and Beth didn't seem to mind either way.

It looked like the child was almost finished eating as she began nodding off again in Quinn's arms. The poor thing hadn't had much sleep this week either and was still catching up. Rachel halted in the doorway, just soaking up the sight in front of her. Quinn was quietly humming to her daughter and looked so _peaceful_, it was hard to comprehend why she was ever afraid of being a bad mother.

Rachel thought back over the last three months and how everything had changed for the blonde; moving in with them, finishing sophomore year from home, slowly building a friendship with Rachel… yet always Quinn seemed to focus on one thing: being everything she could be for Beth. Beth had changed the good things in Quinn into the best things and helped the blonde overcome the insecurities she was trying so hard to hide. Now, it seemed she was embracing them for the sake of Beth because she deserved her best. Rachel was awed, at both mother and daughter. She had always thought Quinn would be a good mom if given a chance, but just how much Quinn had changed and flourished had surprised her. If Rachel wasn't in love with Quinn before, she was now.

Quinn was oblivious to Rachel's arrival, utterly mesmerized by the baby girl in her arms. She loved these early peaceful morning moments, before the busyness of life caught up with them. It was just her and her baby; the world was as it should be. She still couldn't believe Beth was hers to keep and take care of. Even after three months and countless hours of lost sleep, she still counted every second spent with the infant as pure privilege. She couldn't imagine what her life would be had she signed the adoption papers that night, had Rachel not been her knight in shining armor, saving her from her evil mother.

She chuckled quietly to herself, careful not to wake the angel who was now asleep in her arms. She still had no idea how to talk to Rachel. She wasn't questioning her feelings, but Rachel's reaction to them. If the feelings were mutual, would it be fair to bring this on her? Quinn would never be the reason Rachel didn't pursue her dreams with the passion she had come to love. What if Quinn and Beth in some way held her back, even without intending to? Looking at her sleeping daughter, she was startled out of her thoughts by Rachel clearing her throat.

"Looks like she's still exhausted from this week, huh?" Rachel said as she finally entered the kitchen with a bright smile. She had wanted to sleep in, but this sight had been worth waking up for.

"Yeah, I think I can put her back down soon. She might sleep for a couple of more hours." Quinn replied quietly as she put the bottle on the table in front of her and moved Beth onto her shoulder. It was a completely natural movement now. She rubbed the child's back gently as she got up and began to pace the kitchen. When she turned around again, Rachel was still watching them with a smile. Quinn smiled back, biting her lip slightly and a nervous look on her face.

"Let me just get her settled and then we can go. Leroy is out back already and has the monitor. He's getting the grill ready for tonight."

"Grill? For what?" This was news. Rachel's dad, who owned a small accounting firm in Lima, had never been known for being "outdoorsy." Rachel couldn't remember the last time they had a barbecue in the backyard.

"He said he wanted to have a small barbecue for the five us to spend some time together before school starts. I guess he hasn't used the grill in a while and wants to make sure it still works." Quinn shrugged as she started out of the kitchen.

"A while? Try never. I'll go talk to him while you get Beth settled." Rachel opened the set of French doors that led into the backyard. Though their house wasn't as big as the Fabray's mansion, it was a comfortable size and over the years her fathers had made additions to improve it. They had remodeled the backyard, which was adjacent to a small set of woods, a few years ago and splurged on an expensive grill, envisioning family get-togethers and birthday parties. Of course, the best of intentions were just that – intentions. They had yet to use it and Rachel was more than curious what her daddy had in mind.

She found him staring intently at the large built-in grill and had to bite back a laugh when she saw the confused look on his face. She spotted the baby monitor sitting on a chair next to him and strained to hear Quinn's soft voice singing to Beth.

"Sooo – care to tell me what brought this sudden passion for the outdoors on?" Rachel asked loudly enough to bring her father out of his thoughts. He smiled a bright smile at the sight of this daughter and opened his arms for a hug.

"Good morning, pumpkin. How did Quinn talk you into getting up? I thought today was your annual sleeping in day."

Rachel returned the hug, leaning into her daddy's strong frame. He had played football in college and was still keeping up with a workout regimen, though toned down now. Rachel got her discipline to stick to a schedule from him. "It is, but Quinn wants to take me to breakfast at that new vegan place downtown. Who am I to turn that down? And don't try to dodge the question here. What's with the grilling? Do you even know _how_ to?"

"I resent that implication. Of course I know how to grill. I'm a man." He huffed as if that fact should have been general knowledge.

"Oh, I'm sorry. How could I have forgotten that all men are endowed with implicit knowledge of outdoor food preparation?" Rachel replied with a laugh. She loved her daddy. Though he was obviously not her biological father, what with being African American and _tall_, they had always shared a special bond. It was Leroy who had prodded Rachel into offering Quinn a friendship so many months ago, knowing the former cheerleader needed someone. And it was Leroy again who brought up offering their guest room to Quinn when he heard the blonde had been kicked out of her childhood home. He hadn't even batted an eyelash when Rachel had come to them the night of Beth's birth and explained what had happened between her and Shelby and how she just had to help the young mother. One look at his husband and another at his daughter and the matter was settled.

He wavered slightly under her gaze and then threw his hands up. "Okay, okay, so I have no idea how to grill. Your dad usually does it, but I was letting him sleep a little while longer. He had to stay late for an emergency surgery last night."

Rachel's dad was respected surgeon at Lima General. Though he had the talent and skills to work practically anywhere, he chose Lima because he and Leroy thought it would be a good place to raise a family. He never regretted not earning bigger paychecks at a larger, more prestigious hospital. His family was provided for, Rachel had everything she needed with her trust, and they were happy. He needed nothing else.

"But why didn't I know we were having this family meal? Or was this a last minute thing?"

"It was supposed to be surprise. But Miss Fabray all but ruined it now." He said the last thing with false hurt in his voice. Rachel swatted his arm.

"I'm sure she didn't mean to. You know she's up early with Beth. You must have not been very stealthy, daddy!"

"I know, I wasn't trying to. I thought she might have skipped her run this morning with school starting Monday. But I think that girl has given up on normal sleeping habits for now. Anyway, Rachel, we are having a barbecue tonight for some quality family time before you go all-diva on us with Julliard and Glee this year."

Rachel grumbled and stood up straight. "What ever do you mean, father?"

Leroy laughed. "Pumpkin, all I meant is you are going to be very busy trying to select the perfect portfolio of songs to audition with, all while making sure Glee club goes to Nationals and wins. Am I right?"

Rachel nodded reluctantly. She knew it would be a busy year. On top of her extra-curricular activities, she was signed up for all honors classes. She didn't see the need for AP classes since she wasn't trying to get an academic scholarship and her efforts were better spent elsewhere. Honors classes would be enough, but would still keep her plenty busy.

Leroy continued, "And Quinn will be even busier with AP classes and Glee and Beth. So your dad and I thought it would be nice to have a quiet night as a family."

Rachel smiled at him. The blonde was part of their family, no question about it. Both of Rachel's dads had spent enough time with Quinn over the summer to know she had changed from the coldhearted cheerleader they knew her as.

Hiram and Quinn especially had bonded over caring for Beth, Quinn always asking him questions about what the correct way to get her on a schedule was, or the best ways to improve her motor skills. Hiram, though not a pediatrician, had enough latent knowledge from medical school to have several hour-long conversations with Quinn. Leroy and Rachel knew not to interrupt them once they got started.

"And I assume we will have something vegan so I can partake in this family dinner?"

"What kind of a father do you think I am? Of course we will. Now go on, go have some pancakes made without eggs. Though I'm pretty sure there's some kind of law against that." Leroy shooed her back into the house where Quinn was now waiting. She waved at him and he picked up the baby monitor to show her Beth was in good hands. Quinn mouthed, "Thank You" to him and he gave her a knowing wink.

"She asleep?" Rachel asked as she closed the doors behind her.

"Yeah, she never woke up when I carried her up. I think the antibiotics make her more sleepy than usual. She still needs to rest." Quinn told her as they walked through the kitchen into the hall. Quinn grabbed her keys from the table by the front door and turned to Rachel. "Mind I drive? It's been a while since I've been able to speed." The blonde finished with a mischievous grin on her face.

Rachel just rolled her eyes, used to this by now. Quinn loved to break any and all speeding laws, which she merely called "suggestions". To everyone's surprise, when the key to the storage unit arrived from her parents two weeks after she moved in with the Berrys, her car was stowed in the oversized unit. Quinn couldn't believe it and almost sent the key back, but Rachel told her there was no reason to. Her parents obviously wanted her to have it or they could have easily sold it themselves.

The expensive sport convertible with its pricy rims and upgraded stereo wasn't the most "kid-friendly" ride and Quinn knew she would have to sell it when Beth became more mobile. She had made up her mind to selling or trading it in once the weather cooled, which was only a matter of time in Ohio. For now, she allowed herself the small joy of driving her _own_ car, not a car she bought to transport her child.

"If you must, though I fail to see the appeal of 'living on the edge' as you like to call it. Speeding laws exist for a reason, you know? You would feel so bad if I died because of your reckless behavior." Rachel answered with a completely serious expression on her face, though Quinn knew her well enough by now to see the sparkle in her eyes.

"Well, I guess that's a risk you'll just have to take and I have to live with the burden of. Though I promise you I will always protect you." Quinn answered just as seriously, but both knew they were just teasing each other now. Their banter had become easy and natural over the summer. Grinning, the blonde opened the door behind them and skipped to her black Audi. She would be sad to let the car go.

Rachel shook her head as she followed Quinn out of the house and got into passenger seat. She barely had time to fasten her seatbelt before the car was thrown into reverse, backed up and then into first gear. Rachel never felt _un_safe with Quinn driving, but safe wouldn't be the word she'd use either. She was just glad they had used her Prius for most of their outings this summer. This was their first outing with out Beth and Rachel was wondering if it would be awkward.

"So, are you excited for school?" Rachel started out after a few minutes of silence. The drive downtown was long; their home was located in the outskirts of Lima. Inwardly she groaned; was that really the best she could come up with? It's not like this was a first date, was it? They had lived together for three months and were definitely past ice-breaking at this point. Yet, right now, _Rachel Berry_ had no idea what to say.

Quinn picked up on her discomfort and smirked at it. She hoped the brunette wasn't put off by the date-ish feel of this impromptu breakfast. Really, Quinn hadn't thought this through, she had just gone with her gut. She knew she needed to get Rachel on neutral ground and away from Beth for a little while. Her daughter was in the best of hands with the Berry men and she wasn't worried at all. Should anything happen, they would call. No, she and Rachel needed to be alone for this conversation, a conversation she was still wracking her brain on how to begin. She knew she was past the point of return now; Rachel would know the minute she made a lame excuse for asking her to spend the morning with her.

"I guess. I don't really know what to expect. Just that I'll be buried in homework with all those AP classes." Quinn finally answered.

"Well, I think it's admirable you signed up for all of them. If you take the same number as a senior, you will be well on your way to having a bachelor's degree when we graduate. Just think, you could be twenty and be done with your undergraduate work. And twenty-two with a Master's degree."

"Woah, slow down there, turbo. I don't even know _what_ I'm going to study, let alone if I will get a Master's. Let's make it through junior year first." Quinn said, glancing over at Rachel and stopping her rant before it got started. At this rate, Rachel would have her whole academic _and_ professional career planned out by the time their coffee arrived. She softened her tone when saw the hurt expression on the singer's face. "I'm just saying, let's take it one day at a time for now. I still got plenty of time to figure out what I need to do. But yes, AP classes will help with college, that's for sure."

Rachel smiled at her and they fell into a more comfortable silence and arrived in Downtown Lima just as that part of town was waking up. The Lima Historical Society had recently finished the remodel of the area, and there were art shops and small cafes opening left and right. It looked more like a street in California than Ohio, but neither Quinn nor Rachel were complaining. Lima didn't have too many exciting parts and once Downtown was finished, it had been a pleasant surprise to the younger population of the city.

Since it was barely 8AM, Quinn found a spot to pull into right in front of the restaurant. Rachel could barely contain her excitement for the total vegan menu as they sat down at a table on the outside deck in the back. Quinn caught the eye of a young man inside who she assumed was the lone waiter at this hour. The breakfast crowd on Saturdays didn't usually come out until later. She was thankful for the lack of people and the relative privacy they had.

"Oh, look Quinn, they have a stage set up inside. We should get the Glee club to perform here. The more practice we get in front of an audience, the better." Rachel had evidently already picked out what she wanted before Quinn even had the chance to look at the menu that had been sitting on the table as they sat down.

"Uh, yeah that's a good idea. But maybe you should wait until a couple of weeks into the year to suggest it. Ya know, give everyone a chance to get used to being upperclassmen?" Quinn suggested as she picked up the menu, wondering what on earth she was going to eat here.

She knew Rachel didn't want to hear her disagreement. Though they hadn't talked about Glee much during the summer, Quinn knew the singer had been working on a list of things they needed to improve on. She had given Quinn room to get used to all the changes in her life this summer, and not brought it up. But summer was almost over, Glee was about to start back up and Quinn knew it would be a big part of both their lives again. "Rach, you will be amazing this year. I have zero doubts. And thus Glee club will be amazing too, no matter how many times we perform in front of an audience." She winked at the brunette and brought the menu up to her eyes again.

Though somewhat annoyed, Rachel still loved the confidence Quinn had in her. Aside from her fathers, Quinn had become her biggest advocate in her artistic ambitions. Even though she always put on a self-assured face in Glee club, Rachel had shared some of her fears about not being good enough to make it on Broadway with the blonde. She had no illusions that in New York she would be the start she was in Lima, and what did she have to stand out? She has asked Quinn that very question once.

"Passion," Quinn had answered her simply one night as they were sitting on her bedroom floor, knowing they should be catching up on sleep but not wanting to say good night yet. Rachel thought back to that night now, amazed how Quinn's complete faith in her had eased her worries into almost non-existence. Yes, success would not come without hard work, but Rachel was no longer uncertain the way she was before.

"Why thank you, Miss Fabray. While I don't doubt my own abilities, the club does need to practice more. We have so much to improve on and only two years left to win a National Title. But, I guess one week of getting back in the swing of things can't hurt." Rachel finished. She had reluctantly admitted to herself that she might have been _a bit _too pushy with the other members last year. One of her goals for junior year was to become more of a team player. Solos alone didn't win competitions and she honestly wanted to share _some_ of the spotlight. She thought about Beth and how the little girl had changed her as well this summer. Before Quinn had brought her home, Rachel had been selfish in many ways. Now, she thought about Quinn and Beth first and wanted to bring this newfound attitude into Glee club as well.

As she studied the menu, still no idea what to order, Quinn contemplated that same change in the diva. Had Quinn disagreed with her three months ago on anything Glee-related; there would have been an argument, no doubt. Now, Rachel seemed to weigh her words more, at least around Quinn.

The young waiter finally approached their table, pulling both girls out of their thoughts. He looked vaguely familiar, but Quinn dismissed it; he looked like a thousand boys with short brown hair and blue eyes.

"Quinn Fabray! How the heck are you?" The waiter greeted them cheerily, not even glancing at Rachel but solely focused on Quinn. She looked at him confused, then at Rachel who shook her head, indicating she didn't know the boy either.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Quinn tried her best not to sound bitchy. But it was early, she was tired from her run and from taking care of Beth this week and she just wanted to be alone with Rachel.

"Well, I should hope so. Our families only spent like every other major holiday together. I'm pretty sure they were hoping we'd get married." The boy joked like she should know what he was talking about. Quinn studied him closer and it dawned on her. This was Tyler Johnson, son of one of the other prominent family in Lima, other than the Fabrays. Quinn hadn't seen him since the end of her eight-grade year, when he had longer hair and was much skinnier and honestly been kind of moody.

The young man in front of her was well toned, had the shortest haircut she'd seen on a boy other than Puck in a long time and grinned from ear to ear. He was right, their families had spent a lot of holidays together; whether it had been Fourth of July celebrations or Christmas ski vacations - the Fabrays and the Johnsons had been close. Tyler was probably right, their parents had most likely wanted them to end up together and carry on the facade of happy family. Quinn had thrown all their plans into chaos.

"Tyler?" She stood up as realization hit her and gave the boy an awkward hug. She glanced at Rachel, whose eyes widened and looked obviously uncomfortable by now. She turned toward the diva, "Tyler, this is Rachel Berry. Rach, this is Tyler Johnson. We grew up together. Ty, wow, you look…different." Though a surprise, it was good to see Tyler. They had never been best friends or even contemplated dating, but had spent enough time together to be comfortable around each other. Quinn thought he was studying at OSU, though he was obviously back in Lima at least for the summer.

"Yeah, you know, things change." Tyler smiled back at her as she sat back down.

_Yeah, no kidding_, Quinn thought but didn't say anything as she sat back down. She looked again at Rachel, who had yet to say a word. This was a side of the brunette Quinn had never seen. She seemed almost…_shy_?

"So how's your dad? And the rest of your family? I haven't heard much from mom and dad about them lately. Though, to be honest, I haven't asked either. You look great!" Tyler rambled on and Quinn forced herself to smile at him. He really didn't know what happened. Quinn wasn't sure if she should feel grateful or anxious.

"You know, mind if we catch up another time? I promised Rachel here breakfast and I'm being a bad date." If possible, Rachel's eyes got even bigger at Quinn's statement. The blonde seemed unphased by her choice of words and just ordered two cups of coffee for them while promising to leave her contact info for Tyler before they left.

"Sooo - sorry about that. I didn't think we'd run into anyone we'd know this early." Quinn tried to diffuse the now uncomfortable mood. This was so not how she had pictured their morning going.

Rachel finally recovered, saying, "It's perfectly fine. We'll be running into lots of people we know come Monday. It's just weird since we've been in the Beth bubble for the last three months." She finished with a laugh, Quinn nodding her head with the last part of her statement. Yes, the real world had kept moving without them.

"Do you know what you want? I've been dying for their vegan pancakes. I saw it on their website and hope they are as good as they make them sound. I can never get them right at home." Rachel kept talking, obviously trying to move on from Quinn's "date" comment.

"Um, I have no idea. I'm more of a bacon and eggs kind of person." Quinn wasn't oblivious to what she had said. It had just kind of slipped out and now she was worried about Rachel's reaction. She had come to read the diva pretty well since they'd lived together. Rachel right now was nervous-Rachel, and Quinn couldn't pinpoint yet if it was good or bad.

Before either of them could get lost in their thoughts more, Tyler was back with their coffees. He was still only looking at Quinn and Rachel began to feel like she was the third wheel on an awkward high school date. She didn't want to make a scene and go "all diva" on him like her daddy had said this morning. She liked this calmer version of herself that Quinn brought out and not even this guy's more than obvious attempt at flirting would rile her up. Rachel had also learned to read Quinn and from where she sat studying the blonde, she could tell she wasn't interested in the boy's advances. In fact, she was trying to make him leave; just ordering pancakes for both of them and a large fruit salad to share. When he was finally gone, Quinn leaned back in the seat and shot Rachel a brilliant smile.

"Hopefully, he'll stay away for a while now. I don't remember him being this much of a flirt." She started out, cringing inwardly for bringing Tyler yet again into the conversation.

"Looks to me like you're wrong." Rachel replied tersely. She didn't mean to sound like she was annoyed, but she _was._

"Anyway, enough about him. This is the first time we've had all summer without a baby and I so don't want to talk about boys." Quinn replied, not missing Rachel's tone. She was running through scenarios in her head how to bring up her feelings, but she didn't want to ruin the morning any more. Rachel already looked uncomfortable enough.

"Yes, well, sorry. I guess I wasn't quite prepared for someone who didn't know about Beth or your parents either. I'm glad you evaded his questions. I'm sure he would have just pulled up a chair and wanted the whole story had you not."

"I know, right? I guess I just assume the gossip mill has done all that for me. It's weird some people don't know I kept her or that I was even pregnant." With that, Quinn got out her phone, making sure the Berry men hadn't tried calling. Most likely Beth was still asleep. Satisfied there were no messages, she put the phone back into her purse and looked at Rachel, taking a deep breath.

_Well, guess there's no time like the present. You're Quinn Fabray, for God's sake. Get a grip._

She began, still hesitant how exactly to say what she wanted to say. "Rach, I know I owe you so much. Without your dads and you, Beth would be with some other family and I would be a wreck, trying to keep up this façade I had built." Rachel started to interrupt Quinn, but the blonde held her hand up. "No, let me finish, okay? I'm afraid I'll forget something I want to say." The brunette closed her mouth and smiled at Quinn, nodding and silently begging her to continue.

"It's not even about the money, though I am thankful for that. I don't think that part's quite sunk in yet with me." Quinn laughed. She really needed to see how much it was; neither Rachel nor her dads had brought it up again after they handed her the paperwork that night.

"But, it's so much more. I feel safe, for the first time in my life, I can be who I really am. Or I can figure out what kind of person, what kind of mother, I want to be. It's overwhelming some days, that I have Beth with me. I don't miss my parents at all, now that I have her. And all that's because of you. So I really, _really_ just need to say Thank You." Quinn was leaning into Rachel now, and grabbed her hand as she kept talking.

"I know breakfast is lame compared to what you've done for us. But I hope to start repaying you for all your kindness."

"Quinn, you don't owe me anything. I want to be there, I told you the night of Beth's birth. This is not an obligation I feel like I have to fulfill. You're family now, plain and simple. We're stuck together." Rachel finally got a word in, though her voice was heavy with emotion. She had wanted to bring this up so many times over the course of the summer, and she was glad Quinn had finally broached the topic.

"I know, Rach. I feel the same way. Not stuck though. I feel like I'm finally free."

_God, that was the cheesiest line ever,_ Quinn thought. But Rachel just grinned wider and she knew she was doing good.

"I think Beth might have more to do with than I do. But you're welcome." Rachel was smiling widely now, hoping the conversation would continue this way.

"Yes, she has that effect, doesn't she? I can't imagine where I'd be now without her. Or you." Quinn gripped her hand tighter as she looked directly into Rachel's eyes, silently communicating what she was having such a hard time putting into words. How do you tell a person they're everything you've ever dreamed of? That you'd be beyond honored if they'd even consider being with you? That they made you feel worthy for the first time in your life? As she looked into Rachel's piercing eyes, which stared at her with a deep understanding and _something_ else, she finally found the strength to say the words.

"I don't think I could have ever done with without you, no matter if my parents had been supportive, or if I had decided to this with Puck. It's because of you I have this chance to be a better person. You, you and Beth, you make me want to be better. A better friend, a better mother, just _better_. I…," she hesitated again.

_Might as well get it all out_, Quinn thought.

"I want to be better for you both. I want to truly have earned this forgiveness you have given me. And maybe one day, _soon_, I'll get to take you on a real date." There it was. Not quite as elegant as she had hoped, but it was out there. She was now fully facing the diva, having shifted her chair closer to her. No one else had entered the outside deck yet, and Quinn thanked the heavens for the privacy. Hopefully Tyler would stay away too.

Rachel was speechless, something that seemed to happen regularly around Quinn. Had she heard right? Did the blonde just declare romantic feelings to her? Though Rachel had thought and hoped Quinn felt the same way about her, it was still stunning to hear the actual words. She opened and closed her mouth several times, not sure what the most appropriate response would be.

Sitting next to her, Quinn's doubt were beginning to get the best of her. She should have not surprised the singer with this declaration, maybe eased her into it more. Hell, Quinn didn't even know if _she_ was gay, let alone Rachel. She'd never been attracted to a girl before this, was unsure if she ever would be again. It wasn't girls she was interested in, it was _Rachel_. What if the diva didn't feel the same way? What if she had just thrown away the best friendship she'd ever had in her life?

"Quinn, I…" Rachel began, searching for the right words. She wanted to make sure Quinn heard everything she said. "I don't…" And before she could finish her sentence, Tyler was there again with their pancakes, happily chattering about OSU to Quinn and asking if she had picked a college yet. The blonde forced a grim grin and answered in tight sentences, not really sure what he was going on about. All she had heard was the 'I don't' and automatically filled in "I don't feel that way about you" and now was feeling like the biggest idiot. Why had she been so stupid? Of course, Rachel didn't want her that way; they were _friends_, that was it.

"So, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but I still have like a month in town before I go back to school. Do you maybe want to grab dinner and a movie? You know, go on that date our parents have been hoping for?" Tyler asked Quinn, oblivious to the tension that was now almost palpable to the two girls in front of him. Quinn looked up at him again; surely she had heard him wrong. What was it with guys? Did he think she had spent the last two years waiting for him?

From her seat, Rachel could tell the blonde was losing patience with their waiter and that her own unfinished sentence had only increased her anxiety. She decided diva-Rachel would have to make an appearance this morning after all. She cleared her throat rather loudly.

"Tyler, is it? Let me answer that one for you." Tyler shifted his focus to Rachel, as if he was just noticing her for the first time. He looked confused and surprised, moving his gaze from Quinn to Rachel and back and forth. Quinn had a puzzled look on her face as well; was Rachel about to accept a date on her behalf? After what she had just told her?

"She's not interested. She's not going to go on any dates, with you or any other guys, anytime, or ever. Not if I have anything to do with it." If possible, Tyler looked even more confused now and for the first time this morning he actually didn't say anything in return.

"The only person Quinn will be dating is me. If you run into her parents, please let them know that, would you? They haven't bothered to talk to her in three months, so they might not care. But tell them their granddaughter is healthy and starting to sit up on her own and will be crawling very soon. And tell them their daughter is doing exceptionally well and is the best mother I could have ever imagined her being. Can you remember all of that or should I write it down?" Rachel finished her rant sarcastically, hoping it would send the boy off finally. This was not how she had envisioned them declaring their feelings to each other, but yet again Rachel learned to just go with the moment.

"No…no I think I got it all." Tyler stammered, clearly uncomfortable with the way Rachel now commanded the entire conversation and situation. "I'll let you guys eat your food." With that, he left, not even glancing in Quinn's direction again.

Quinn arched an eyebrow at Rachel's announcement and _looked_ unamused, though inwardly she was overjoyed. Rachel was coming down off her high and was again looking at her shyly, as if the implication of what she had just declared were just hitting her. Before Quinn could say something, Rachel held her hand up this time to stop her.

"I believe it's my turn, correct?" Quinn nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"I apologize for confusing you. What I meant to say, before we were so rudely interrupted, was that I don't know how long I've wanted to hear those words from you. Obviously, you know now after my little speech on your behalf." Rachel grinned at her, relief flooding through both of them. The morning had definitely not turned out the way either of them had thought.

"Yes, well, you do have a flare for the dramatic." Quinn answered with a grin on her face, and then said with a more serious look, "I'm sorry I reacted badly, I should have let you finish." Quinn knew Rachel could read her like a book and had known that she had been panicking.

"It's fine. This is…new to both of us. You make me nervous too – in a good way. Which is so strange because we have been practically joined at the hip for the last three months."

Rachel thought about what she wanted to say next and looked down at her food, having forgotten it was there. She grabbed Quinn's hand again and looked straight at her. "You don't have to earn my forgiveness. It's done, what's past is past. I know you're no longer that person and you're still changing – for the better. I love that you want to still be better; I hope you never lose that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I would love to – I would love to go on a _real_ date with you. Though I think this morning might qualify?"

"Hell no. Not with him interrupting every five seconds." Quinn laughed, relieving some of the seriousness that had settled into the conversation. They were good; their feelings finally out in the open. Quinn had never expected declarations of love and promises of forever, though she was hoping for those in the future. Rachel grinned back at her as she squeezed her hand tight again before releasing it.

"So now that this awkwardness is out of the way, what do you think we should do? You know, about us?" Rachel asked. Quinn was prepared for this; she had known the diva would want a plan.

"I know it might seem odd and cliché-like, considering we live together, but I want to take it slow. We've both been burned by jumping headfirst into relationships. I don't plan on this happening to either of us. I…I _really _like you, Rach. I want to do this right, not rush into it." Quinn explained, again looking for the words that failed to come to her. She needed Rachel to understand that she liked her too much, might even love her, to rush into a whirlwind romance. They had Beth to consider; were living together and were tied together in many ways already. What if their relationship didn't work out and Rachel walked out of Beth's life? Quinn knew the brunette would never intentionally hurt the child, but it was something to think about. Before they officially started dating, there were conversations to be had and many things to consider. They weren't just two teenagers who had crushes on each other. At least in Quinn's case, her feelings went well beyond a simple crush. And she guessed Rachel's did too. She was glad to see Rachel nodding along with her words.

"While I've never been the patient type, I have to agree with you. I, too, _really_ like you. I don't want to hurt you or Beth by being my typical selfish self, though I'd like to think the two of you also helped me be better these last few months. I'd like to see where this goes. We'll both know when we're ready to go on that date." Rachel smiled at Quinn again then and picking up her fork finally gave the pancakes a try.

"Oh my god, these are soo good. You have to try them." And just like that, that part of their conversation was over and they were back to joking around and talking about school. Quinn had to reluctantly admit that maybe Vegan pancakes were not that bad and eggs were not a necessary part of one's diet.

As they were driving back to the Berry's two hours later; after Quinn gave Tyler the condensed Reader's Digest Version of what had been her life since he'd last seen her, both girls shared the same thought: Best first non-date ever.

**A/N3: Hate it? Love it? Please review. It makes my day to see your comments! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this is a short one this week, but I'm setting up the next flashback with this and the next chapter. Thank you SOO much for the reviews, alerts and favorites. I get so excited when I get the alerts and it's amazing to me you are enjoying what's happening in this story. If you enjoy this one, please leave me a note!  
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Chapter 6

Quinn had overslept, something she hardly ever did. Of course, today would be the day. Rushing to grab her notes, laptop, brush her teeth and make herself at least _look_ like the hot-shot, fearless young doctor she was supposed to be, she finally made it to the large downstairs ballroom the keynote for the conference was being held in. She had missed the obligatory brunch beforehand after all, but after a quick text to her boss explaining herself she wasn't too worried. He'd always had a soft spot for her and trusted her to do her job to represent NYU's medical center and the revolutionary changes in trauma medicine her research had brought to the hospital.

Glancing around the large room from behind stage while waiting for her cue, she smiled at fond memories of many Glee performances and how different this backstage area was. Nobody was running through warm-up vocals here; there was no one to hold her hand and squeeze it tight for good luck before she made her way onto the stage. Rachel's email she had skimmed quickly on her phone while in the elevator this morning was her equivalent of that today.

She never got stage fright, then or now, a good thing considering she was about to give a speech to the top medical professionals in the country. Yet, she wasn't completely relaxed either. Quinn still couldn't quite figure out how she had found herself here, in the company of her peers who were looking to her for new insights and guidance. No matter her professional accomplishments, she sometimes still felt like the sixteen-year-old ex-cheerleader who no one but a tiny brunette and her dads believed in.

Pushing those memories to the back of her mind for now, she focused on the present again, mentally going through her speech one more time. She had some smaller workshops Wednesday and Thursday before finally heading home Friday, but this was the big one. For the morning session, she had been asked to re-cap the focus of her entire medical career in just under an hour. Then during the afternoon, she would bring the past into the present and explain how her findings, improvements_,_ and changes in trauma medicine they had implemented at NYU's Medical Center emergency room as a pilot project last year.

Quinn had been twenty-eight at the time, finished with her residency and put in charge of one of the busiest ERs in the country. Her boss, Chief Walters, held an unwavering belief in her abilities, no matter her relative youth in the field. He knew she had very personal reasons for why she did her job with veracity and dedication he had not seen in many other young doctors. Quinn was not interested in money, prestige or climbing up a career ladder – she had chosen to pursue medicine to change things, to make the world a better place, no matter how naïve that might have sounded to anyone who didn't know the blonde well.

Within two months of implementing the changes Quinn's research had suggested, the fatality rate of the ER had dramatically decreased and other doctors began calling her. Medical journals ran articles on her, calling her the _"Fresh Face Changing Medicine As We Know It." _Quinn chuckled behind stage; she had never expected the accolades that she was now receiving. Yet, in this world, she was as much of a superstar as Rachel was on Broadway. It was odd, yet their life had always seemed to work that way.

Seeing that Dr. Walters was almost finished with her introduction, she moved in place to take the stage. Quinn loved her wife and children with all her heart, but she had missed her work. Although giving a speech and leading some workshops didn't technically qualify as practicing medicine, this was part of her passion and she was glad to share it with others. Her work had saved lives and she was damn proud of it, had fought hard to be at the place where she was now.

Through college and med school and residency, her focus had been at improving trauma medicine and change the fundamental way an ER was run. When she first started out, she was viewed as the doe-eyed blonde girl who didn't know how the real world worked. It was a stereotype she had quickly laid to rest; as she did graduate early and moved onto Medical School all before she turned 21. She would often tell Rachel that it was some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy when she told her that's exactly what would happen on their way to breakfast to their first official "non-date".

As she took the stage and waited for the applause to die down, Quinn smiled broadly. It felt good to be recognized for something worthwhile; this was not the shallow popularity she found so important during her early high school years. She had grown in innumerable ways since those days and though she wasn't _proud_ of her HBIC days, she was almost thankful for them. She had learned from having regrets, from treating people as if they were beneath her, from treating the person she _loved_ badly. She gave her wife infinite credit for the forgiveness and patience she had extended to her.

Taking another deep breath, she began the first part of her speech.

Seven hours later, Quinn finally made it back to her suite. She still had a dinner to attend in an hour, but until then, had no obligations. Her speeches had gone exceptionally well and the small Q&A session after her afternoon speech had run over by almost two hours. Many had questions for the woman whose research had saved so many lives in the last year. Quinn didn't mind - she was at this conference to share her knowledge after all. Yet, the little sleep was getting to her now and she was thankful for the, albeit short, break.

With the session running over, she hadn't been able to get back to Rachel earlier; it was late in New York now and she would most likely not hear back from her until the next day. Quinn ran her fingers through her hair and pouted for a minute; she missed hearing her wife's voice, missed the faces of her children, she missed being _home_. She knew it was stupid; she was an adult and should be able to get through a few days without her family. But they were her source of strength and reason she had worked so hard. Her family was _everything_ to her. The last two days had been torture and she had three more to get through.

Sighing, she grabbed her laptop from her bag, sat cross-legged on the bed and started her email program. She really should change out of her black slacks and white blouse before dinner, but writing her wife seemed more important right now.

She had _a lot_ of new messages; thanks to smartphones, the doctors who hadn't been able to ask their questions during the Q&A had emailed them to her directly. Quinn knew she would have to devote some time after dinner to answering at least part of them; there would only be more tomorrow. She skimmed through some other work-related emails before getting to Rachel's message she had read quickly this morning.

Quinn laughed out loud at the mention of "perfectly logical arguments,_" _which was so Rachel-speak, it made her miss her wife even more. She teared up at the mention of Ethan and how he missed her voice and wished she could be there to sing her precious baby boy to was the better sleeper of the twins, though it seemed like both of the children were giving their mother and sister a hard time this week. Quinn cursed herself for never getting her camera on her laptop repaired; she wished she could help her family from across the country. If the twins kept this up, Rachel and Beth would have to leave for a few days to recuperate.

Quinn realized Rachel would already be talking out of her sulking if she was there and shook her head. She was over-tired and the day was catching up with her now that she was sitting down. She glanced at her watch; she still had almost forty-five minutes before dinner. Maybe time for a quick shower to wake her up so she could deal with some of the blatant flirting that had been going on earlier during the Q&A. Never mind that diamond ring on her left hand; she was here alone so she must be interested. One guy from a hospital in Ohio, of all places, had asked her to dinner while she had been on stage. The nerve of some people. Had her wife been in the room, there would have been a rather interesting scene, Quinn was sure. She didn't even bother answering the man, just held up her left hand for him to see she was _most definitely_ already spoken for.

As she hit reply to Rachel's email, she thought back to their impromptu breakfast so long ago and another guy who kept hitting on her. Tyler Johnson had unknowingly helped their relationship to its fragile start. _I guess everything does happen for a reason, _Quinn thought.

It was some months before either girl felt confident enough to take the next step and even then they were still hesitant. Both were afraid to ruin their friendship and were thinking how any fights or break-up would affect Beth. And the first week of school had been anything but encouraging in the matter. Shaking her head again to clear her thoughts, she finally started typing:

_Hey Baby,_

_I'm so sorry I couldn't get back with you earlier (I'm literally pouting here) – the Q&A went two hours late and I just got back in. Dinner's in a little while and then sleep…..though I shouldn't complain I'm sure you're not doing any better than I am. _

_Let me know how the babies are doing; I can have someone from the hospital stop by if you think they're getting sick. And don't roll your eyes. I'm so not being overprotective. _

_The speech went good, lots of questions after. Felt good to finally share everything we've worked so hard for. I still can't quite believe they asked me to be the keynote speaker, I don't think it's sunk in yet even though it's done now. _

_I miss you all more than anything, but it's nice to speak Medicine again for a while. One guy asked me to dinner after I went over implementing my suggestions on a tighter budget than NYU's. He reminded me of Tyler Johnson, remember that guy from breakfast? Don't worry, no need to get on a plane – I just held up my left hand and that was the end of it. My heart's always been yours, Rach. _

Quinn paused, thinking that her tired brain was making her _more_ sentimental than usual. But she knew Rachel would love it, so she left the sentence as it was.

_And yes, it is crazy how beautiful things turned out. I've been thinking about that first week at school Junior year. You remember the mess I was? I'm surprised you still wanted to date me after that disaster. But then, you always did like a challenge. _

_Anyway – I really need to shower and make myself presentable for this dinner. Boss wants me to meet some people from Europe who want to visit NYU during the summer. I miss you, so much. Keep me updated on the phones (you're right, my camera is broken still) and when I can see my babies (all three). See you soon._

_Love,_

_Me_

_PS: How are YOU feeling? We'll be at six weeks when I get back….if you know what I mean…._

Satisfied, the blonde hit send with a grin on her face, closed the laptop, got up and began stripping off her clothes as she made her way into the bathroom to take a hot (or maybe cold) shower. Six weeks was a long time…


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:Apologies for the long wait. I started a new job and all of a sudden my free time is very limited. I plan on keeping up a weekly posting as much as I can. Thank you all so much for the reviews and alerts - they make my day! If you like this one, leave me a note! **

Chapter 7

Exactly forty-two minutes after sending her reply to Rachel, Quinn stepped out of the grand elevator on the bottom floor of the hotel. She did feel better after a hot shower and fresh change of clothes, even if she was still tired and would have much rather stayed inside the room. But Chief Walters had asked her to meet with some colleagues of his from Germany and England who were interested in implementing her research in their respective hospitals. She could hardly turn him down.

As she walked into the hotel restaurant and spotted her boss sitting with three other people, she was still smiling at her wife's earlier message. She didn't know what it was that made them both feel so reminiscent over the past; she could only attribute it to the fact that they had not spent time apart like this in all the years of their relationship. Even when Quinn had worked forty-eight hour shifts during her residency or practically lived at the library during her last year of med school, they somehow managed to see each other every day. Of course, having Beth had always forced them to be creative in their time management and it was a lesson they carried over into their adult lives.

Quinn and Rachel had agreed early in their relationship that their daughter would never feel neglected because of their respective careers. So they sacrificed being with friends and goofing off like normal college students in order to give Beth a normal life. Well, _normal_ for them. Beth knew the backstage areas of the numerous theaters Rachel had worked in during their college years _very_ well and was adored by her colleagues there.

By the time Quinn finished her undergraduate work, Beth was old enough to start pre-K and she worked her med school classes so she could pick her up in the early afternoon. When she began her residency and her schedule became more unpredictable, Rachel took a leave of absence from the stage to be with Beth and recorded a studio album with a small independent label. It was an unexpected move for the newest Broadway sensation and had sold spectacularly. The small label quickly became a household name and Rachel had since recorded two more albums with them, in addition to some other more "non-traditional" projects.

Sitting down at the table, Quinn smiled at the other doctors and reluctantly forced herself out of the memories. Chief Walters introduced her to the two stoic-looking younger men and a strikingly beautiful black woman sitting with him.

"Dr. Fabray, these are Drs. Mueller and Thomas from Germany and Dr. Matthews. Dr. Matthews is the administrator at one of the largest hospitals in London and we actually went to medical school in Boston together."

Quinn shook their hands across the table and now understood why the men looked so passive – Germans were not known for their humor. They made small talk as they ordered their dinner and then the three launched into their questions. Could Quinn's research work in Europe? What is the best training for their doctors? Could she come to their hospitals and teach their heads of ER? And many, many more.

Her head was spinning by the time the salad arrived and she looked pleadingly at her boss for help.

"Why don't we let Dr. Fabray breathe for a couple of minutes while we enjoy dinner. She's had a long day and I'm sure will be happy to answer your questions after she gets something to eat." Dr. Walters told his colleagues with a chuckle, noticing how tired Quinn really looked.

Quinn smiled a thankful smile at him, while she told their dinner companions, "If you don't mind. This time difference is getting to me a bit more than I anticipated."

The three Europeans nodded in agreement as the food arrived. Quinn dug into her steak and Parmesan mashed potatoes greedily. She felt like she hadn't eaten in days and only felt slightly guilty about the total non-veganness of her meal. At home, she respected Rachel's eating habits and usually ate whatever she did. But that didn't mean she didn't miss meat every once in a while.

Dr. Matthews, who Quinn learned was actually an old girlfriend of her boss', leaned over her food and asked, "So, Dr. Fabray, I've been dying to ask. Is there any relation to Rachel Fabray? The actress?" The two German doctors looked at her bewildered, as if the concept of talking about anything but business was foreign to them.

Quinn smiled graciously. Even after all these years and their successes, she still wasn't quite used to people knowing Rachel by name. She was a Grammy _and _Tony Award winning singer, as well an Oscar nominated actress for her role in the film version of _Wicked_, which had been a global success.

Of course, people who knew about these things knew she was married to a woman, but apparently European doctors had better things to do than to follow the lives of celebrities.

"Yes, actually. She's my wife." She answered proudly; still amazed she could call this remarkable woman her own. At the same time, she braced herself for a negative reaction. Though gay marriage was now legal in many states, some people still disagreed wholeheartedly and didn't even try to hide their negative opinions. Dr. Matthews gracefully recovered after a shocked look crossed her face for a nanosecond. Quinn noticed out of the corner of her eye that one of the German doctors also was now giving her his full attention. Hot young blonde Lesbian doctor? All of a sudden she felt on display.

Chief Walters came to her rescue again. "Yes, Rachel and Dr. Fabray – Quinn – actually have five week old twins. A very handsome boy and beautiful daughter. I delivered them myself." He finished with a glare in the direction of the German man, who got the message and focused back on his meal. Dr. Walters was a trusted mentor in Quinn's life and through the years he had become as protective over her family as she would have expected her own father to be, had he ever approved of her "choices".

Quinn grinned at him, moving to get her phone out, relishing the opportunity to show her children off. She knew she was the stereotypical new mother type right now, but she just knew there had never been cuter babies than hers. "Yes, they are almost sleeping through the night already, if you can believe that," she said as she handed Dr. Matthews the phone.

Dr. Matthews took her phone from her and scrolled through the images, commenting on the babies as she came across a picture of Beth holding Olivia.

"Oh and this one? Is she your younger sister? The resemblance is quite striking."

_What was it about this week that keeps bringing up the past? No one's ever this interested in my life, unless Rachel is doing something, _Quinn thought.

"No, actually that's Beth - our oldest. She's almost 14 and starting high school this fall. God help us all." She finished with a laugh. She could hardly believe herself she had two children barely a month old and one old enough to be a teenager. It _was_ unusual; she had accepted that fact a long time ago. That still didn't mean she liked to explain her family to every stranger she met.

To her credit, Dr. Matthews just nodded now. "Well, she looks just like you. And like a very proud big sister."

"Yes, she is. She's been nothing but helpful. And from what I've heard from Rach, the babies are keeping them up plenty since I've been gone." Quinn explained, realizing she hadn't spoken to Dr. Walters about the network outage and its effects on NYU. She hoped her ER was running smoothly and began mentally making a list of questions to ask him later.

By the time they finished their food and got back to the topic of medicine, Quinn had recovered and was fully professional with the other doctors. She answered all of their questions in as much detail as she could and promised to meet up with Dr. Matthews once more before the end of the week. The two Germans made follow up appointments with Dr. Walters as they took their leave.

Quinn was left sitting at the table with her mentor of the last ten years.

"Thanks for cutting the guy off there. I've had my fill of inappropriate comments for one day." Quinn told him as she leaned back in her seat and rubbed her tired neck with her left hand, picking up her phone with her right. She didn't have any new emails or calls. Rachel must really have been asleep already. Quinn hoped so.

"No problem. I could tell he wanted to say something more and you didn't need that. And before you ask – I've talked to everyone at NYU; they still have landlines there. Everything's going as good as it can be without cell networks, but they are managing." Dr. Walters knew Quinn well enough by now.

"You know me so well, Tom. Thanks for letting me know." She said, getting up from the table with him, fully intending to go upstairs and crawl into bed. She highly doubted she would wake up with nightmares tonight. He turned to her and got her full attention as they made their way from their table.

"Listen, I know you're exhausted. But there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about and it really can't wait. You mind we grab something to drink and talk a bit?"

Quinn gave him a puzzled look; had she done something wrong? She thought her speech had gone over well and with the exception of the idiot asking her on a date, the feedback during the Q&A had been overwhelmingly positive.

"Stop staring at me like a deer-in-headlights. It's nothing bad. Let's go." He laughed loudly as he ushered her out of the restaurant and out of the hotel altogether. Quinn just followed him; she trusted this man more than most in her life and he wouldn't lie to her now.

The night was comfortably warm as they walked in silence next to each other; Quinn didn't miss the coat she had left in her suite. Finally, they arrived at the inevitable Starbucks on the corner block – it was _Seattle_, after all. Quinn laughed as Tom opened her door and motioned for her to sit down while he ordered coffee for himself and a green tea for her.

He knew better than to suggest a bar; Quinn hadn't had a drop of alcohol since the night of Beth's conception. It wasn't that she was against drinking – but she had no real memory of that night due to her intoxication. She didn't want to miss any more important or pivotal moments in life due to something she didn't even like all that much. Most her friends and acquaintances didn't get it, but Quinn could care less. _Rachel_ got it; that's all that mattered to her.

When her mentor and boss finally arrived with their hot drinks, Quinn was beyond curious as to what brought this on. She didn't even feel tired anymore, though in the back of her mind she knew that it was just a short-term adrenaline rush and she would literally pass out when she did make it to bed.

"So, what's up? You're not firing me, are you? I have a family to support, you know." She teased with a serious undertone.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure your Broadway-star-turned-movie-sensation wife cannot provide for you." Dr. Walters teased back. He liked Quinn, treated her like he did his own daughters and felt she was part of his family to a certain extent. His wife had watched Beth from time to time when the girl was smaller and since then he knew Quinn would be a permanent fixture in his life, no matter if she remained his employee or not.

Quinn smiled, similar thoughts running through her head. She could work anywhere and didn't need the money – but she _liked_ working with Tom and knew she couldn't have accomplished as much as she had without his guidance along the way.

"So what's this about? I'm on the edge of my seat here."

"Well, this isn't exactly easy for me to say."

Quinn's smile froze – _was_ he firing her?

"No, you're not being fired, no worries. It's more of an offer, something to think about. If you're not interested, nothing about your job will change." He explained.  
>Quinn allowed herself to relax; yet her mind was racing.<p>

What was this all about?

"I've been meaning to bring this up to you for a while, but I really wanted to wait until after today. To see how your speech was received and the way you handled Q&A. And I have to admit – you even managed to impress me, and I've known what you were going to say for weeks."

"Thank you. I've had good teachers." She replied sincerely, taking a sip of her tea and looking directly at him.

"Yes, well, that's kind of what I mean. You were the teacher today. And you were good, Quinn, really good. You're an excellent doctor and researcher, but I think you could be a _great _teacher." He sat up, meeting her gaze and matching her sincere tone.

"So, I am talking in an official capacity here now. I've been authorized by NYU Medical to offer you a teaching position. We feel you would be an invaluable addition to the faculty there and so many students would benefit from your research and experience. You have a gift to share with others. Your passion is so evident whenever you speak about your work."

Sitting opposite him, Quinn was speechless. To say she was surprised was an understatement – she was _shocked_. She had never expected this.

"What? At NYU? Me?" She knew she was stuttering and didn't have the confidence she had this morning on stage.

Tom laughed. "Yes, you. I know it's out of the blue, but I personally recommended you and then some other people began calling me. Just think about all the students you could impact. It would mean giving up running the ER, but you have a good team in place and they can handle it. Your schedule would be better, no more overnight shifts. I know it's a lot to take in and we can't go over all the details tonight. But talk to your family and think about it. We do need an answer pretty soon to get you started for the summer sessions."

Quinn's brain was processing all the new information he was giving her and she was thinking a mile a minute. A better schedule would be heavenly – she could be home for dinner every night, sing Ethan and Olivia to sleep and then spend more quality time with Beth, something she regretted they didn't have more of.

But she _loved_ the hands-on work in the ER and seeing every day how her research saved lives. She wasn't sure she could give it up, or if she wanted to.

"Wow. I don't, I don't really know what to say. Do you have anything in writing I can look over? When do you need my answer?"

"Yes, I'll email you the offer letter tomorrow. As for an answer - well, as soon as possible really. The summer semester starts in May, as you know. We would like you to start then, if you decide that's what you want to do. Summer is slower and will get you some time to get settled in, and you would have time to train your replacement in the ER if they need it. You might have to end your leave early, but like I said, you schedule will be much better with the teaching position."

"I can imagine that. Tom, I'm so flattered. NYU's program is beyond amazing, it's an honor to be asked." Quinn still didn't really know what to say. Her studies at the University had set her up for her whole career and her teachers there had influenced her in countless ways. She meant it – she was truly honored.

"Let me look over the offer and email Rach and take it from there. Her cell is obviously not working so I can't call. I promise I will let you know as soon as we make a decision."

Tom nodded and looked over the young woman in front of him. This is how she had been the first day he met her as an intern – always putting her family first and talking in terms of "we" and "us", never "mine", "me" or "I". It had impressed him then and it did now. Not many people her age had the integrity Quinn Fabray had. Hell, not many people _his_ age did.

"Of course. I'll send it over tomorrow morning. Now, you look like you could use about twelve hours of sleep. Why don't we go back?"

She nodded and they made the short walk back to the hotel. As they parted by the elevators, Quinn was thinking about everything he had said and how there always seemed to be important decisions to be made.

_I guess that's what comes with being a grown-up_, she thought with a smirk on her face.

She thought about emailing Rachel again, but decided against it. Better to wait for all the details before they started talking. It would change their lives if she took this position – _again_. She stripped off her clothes, grabbed her sweats and white tank and finally made it to bed. As she glanced at the alarm clock, she was surprised it wasn't midnight yet. Her workshops the next day weren't scheduled to start until after lunch. She could actually sleep in – something else she usually didn't get to do.

Her mind was still running on overdrive, but her body was too tired to stay awake. Eyelids growing heavy, she grabbed her phone from her purse before she got under the covers and scrolled again to the picture of Rachel and Ethan.

_This_ was her perfection. Smiling and content for now, she drifted off into a blissful dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This is just a short one this week to set up the next one. I'm having a seriously hard time finding enough time to devote to this, so I really want to know if you guys want me to continue posting. Please PM or review and give me some love - definitely could use the encouragement after the week I've had! Enjoy the chapter! **

Chapter 8

Halfway through the next morning in New York, the storms had finally passed. The skies still didn't look bright, happy and "springy" as Rachel put it, but at least it wasn't thundering every ten seconds anymore. She had decided to take the kids to the park during the afternoon should the weather hold.

Currently though, the family was still finishing breakfast, each infant in their bouncy seats on the large island in the kitchen, Beth in the middle finishing a giant plate of pancakes she had smothered in syrup and fresh bananas. The girl dug into her food as if it was the last meal she would ever eat. Her mother watched from the opposite side of the kitchen, quietly sipping on her second coffee of the day.

Rachel would never understand how a girl who wore a size two in jeans could eat this much. Beth was known to practically inhale a whole tub of Ben & Jerry's at least once a week and vegetables were almost a curse word to her. Rachel was only mildly jealous of her daughter, just as she had been when Quinn was a teenager. The older blonde never had to worry about what she put in her body, as long as she kept her running schedule, she never put on a pound. Rachel on the other hand swore she could feel anything remotely unhealthy directly going to her thighs; another reason why she had kept a strict Vegan diet for so many years now. It took most of the guess work out of eating healthy.

"Honey, slow down. Your food's not going to run away from you," Rachel said laughingly.

"You never know. One of them might start crying again and by the time they're settled, it'll be cold. I have to eat while I can!" Beth explained, still chewing on her latest bite. She grinned at her mom and then glanced at her brother and sister. She loved them so much already, even if they were costing her precious sleep during Spring Break. But she didn't mind. Her moms had done so much for her, it was only fair to help out when she could.

"I suppose that's true." Rachel agreed. She watched all three of her children with pride. Who would have ever thought they'd get here?

"I'm going to put them down a little while longer. They woke up so early, I think they might sleep another hour or so. You want to go over some of your videos while they nap?"

"Actually, I think I need a break. If I hear one more version of _I feel pretty_I might scream."

Rachel laughed aloud. This was so Beth. She loved musical theater, but could only take so much of it.

"Well, any other ideas? I think we'll go down to the park this afternoon, maybe stop by the theater. Most of the cast hasn't met them yet. And they ask about you all the time."

"Sounds like fun, momma. I think I'm going to take a nap too. Wake me when it's time for lunch." The young blonde finished her breakfast and took her plate to the sink. Rachel only shook her head, hoping the babies would magically inherit Quinn's genes as well.

Standing in her kitchen, she wondered how her wife was doing. Probably sleeping still; Rachel hoped so. Quinn had pushed herself during the last week with her trip coming up and parenting all at the same time. Now that her keynote was over, her schedule in Seattle should lighten up.

She looked up at their son and daughter, deciding which one of them would settle down easier. Both were changed, fed and at the moment looked quite content, but their mother wasn't fooled. Rachel decided to start with Olivia, she was the better sleeper and if Ethan started fussing would probably not be bothered by him. Smiling, she picked up the little girl and carried her into the nursery, making sure she could still hear Ethan through the open door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Half an hour later, all three children were passed out in their respective beds. 

I guess it really is true what they say about rainy weather making you more sleepy,

Rachel thought.

Still tired from the little sleep she got the first night Quinn was gone, she could have used a nap herself. But she hadn't checked her email yet and really did miss her wife. As she sat at her messy desk, she looked over Quinn's pristine one and couldn't help but smile. They were different in almost every aspect of life, but that's what kept things interesting.

She skipped over all her other emails and went straight to Quinn's email from last night. She was glad to hear (or read) the speech had gone over as well as she had expected. Rachel was proud and happy Quinn was receiving recognition she so richly deserved. Though both their career choices had made their family life interesting to say the least, neither of them had regrets. The word "balance" didn't really exist in their vocabulary. Family life, work life, social life - they didn't care about balance - it was just life and they tried to live it the best they knew how to.

Rachel giggled at Quinn's cheesy line, thinking the blonde was either overtired or feeling the separation as much as she was. As she reached the bottom of the email, she concluded it was both. Skimming over the message yet again, she re-read the lines describing the first week of Junior Year. Leaning back in her well-worn chair, Rachel tried to recall all the details. It was not her fondest memory - that week had been filled with more drama than she cared for and she had been quite the diva even back then. She knew Quinn thought the same about it, but life was what it was and they couldn't change people's actions then or now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first day of school. During any other year, Rachel Berry would have arrived at McKinley Senior High School at least thirty minutes early in order to map out her route to and from her classes, stop by the choir room to say hello to Mr. Schue, stow away her back-up outfit in case she happened to get slushied and secure an optimal seat in her first class.

For Quinn, the first day would have consisted of arriving just on time with her entourage so the whole student body could watch them walk down the hall, some freshman Cheerio hoping for a spot in her shadow carrying her books. She would have sat in the back row in her classes with the other popular kids, paying just enough attention to get good grades, but not enough to stand out. She would have not acknowledged Rachel's existence until Glee practice later during the day.

Needless to say, this year was vastly different. It was 6AM and both Rachel and Quinn hadn't been to bed yet. Beth's ear infection had flared up again from Saturday to Sunday, and Hiram had cautiously suggested taking her to the ER. Their whole Sunday was spent calming the frightened baby and talking with doctors who knew them both by name now. After adjusting Beth's medication again, they finally headed home during the late afternoon hours, with Beth asleep in her car seat by the time they got home.

Quinn had hoped she would stay asleep for a while and allow her and Rachel some more time to talk. But the little girl woke up as Quinn lifted her out of the car and would only sleep in small spurts through the night. Neither her mother nor Rachel got more than ten minutes here or there and by the time they had to get ready for school, both looked and felt like zombies.

"Well, at least today is the day we decided she's going with Dad. She'll be in good hands while we're at school," Rachel said, trying to make herself and Quinn feel better about leaving the girl. This would be the first time either of them would be away from Beth for more than a few hours. They had a Glee meeting after school this afternoon, so the earliest they could pick up Beth would be 5PM or so, at which point Hiram could just bring her home.

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe I should just stay; I'll call the school and let them know. My emancipation came through last week; it will be fine." Quinn's parents had given up their parental rights easier than any of them could have guessed they would. They didn't talk about it much, Quinn wasn't ready to deal with the pain yet and Rachel didn't want to cause more of it. It was what it was for now.

"No, Quinn, you can't miss the first day. Tomorrow, if she's not better, stay. But let Dad take her today. She'll be fine. She'll probably just sleep all day because she's exhausted. I'm a little jealous." Rachel replied sincerely. She knew what Quinn felt, was feeling the same. But school was important and Quinn couldn't really miss the first day of her AP classes.

"I know, me too." Quinn replied quietly, looking as exhausted as Rachel felt. They really only had had one good night of sleep the previous week and now almost none. Rachel was gaining a whole new level of respect for her parents and parents in general. How single parents did it was a mystery to her.

The older blonde was leaning over the crib looking at her daughter. Beth was still not asleep and she knew she had to get her ready to go with Hiram. She already had her bag packed with everything the baby would need during the day. Quinn turned around to look at the small brunette currently laying in the middle of her bed and grinned despite her exhaustion.

"Well, beautiful, lets get ready for school then. I'll get Beth ready when we're done."

Rachel suddenly felt very alert. Had she heard right or was her overtired mind just playing tricks on her? Had Quinn really just called her beautiful? She looked up from her position at the blonde, who was just smiling shyly back at her and decided to just go with it.

"Well, not that I'm feeling very beautiful right now. But you're right. Let's get ready. Maybe then she'll be finally asleep when Dad's ready to take her." Rachel replied, grinning widely at the girl's pet name for her. Perhaps this first day would be a good one after all.

"Okay, then." Quinn wasn't sure what else to say, not wanting to make this morning awkward. She couldn't have Rachel and her be awkward.

Sensing the blonde's discomfort, Rachel got out of Quinn's bed, walked the short distance to the blonde, softly took her hand and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. They locked shy eyes, silently reassuring the other that everything would work out at school, that they would still be them after today was over. They drew strength from each and Quinn felt better in an instant.

"I'm going to shower. Why don't you do the same; I'll give the monitor to Daddy and I'll make sure he's got some strong coffee for both of us." Rachel said, stepping back from Quinn, but gripped her hand more tightly. If possible, the small action only sent more comfort to the blonde. She felt - _home_.

"Yeah, Rach. I'll see you downstairs." Quinn whispered, but held onto the brunette's hand as the girl turned away, pulling her closer into a tight hug. She could feel Rachel's arms on her back, unsure what to do, but finally tightening around her as well. They held onto each other for a long moment, silently pouring promises into the embrace. Quinn needed Rachel to know she was so grateful for her, every day, even though she'd just told her yesterday. She needed the brunette to know that she would be better for her and Beth. She pulled back and looked intently at the smaller girl in her arms.

"Thank you, for everything. I would rather go to school looking like a zombie knowing Beth is mine, than go there today with my popularity intact. And you, Rachel Berry, are responsible for that happiness. So thank you."

Rachel's heart swelled. She had heard the words from Quinn before, but this would never get old. "Well, I hope to be responsible for much more happiness in your future."

"And I in yours." Quinn replied sincerely.

The moment grew heavy and both of them knew they weren't ready for more yet. They stepped into each other again and hugged tight for one more second, before breaking apart for good and getting ready for their day.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you to all those who encouraged me to keep going with this story. Your messages mean so much to me. This chapter sets up their first week of school some more. I have already started the next chapter and it should be up sometime next week. As always, please review if you like it. Or if you hate it and have some suggestions! I'm still looking for a beta too, if anyone is interested. **

**Enjoy! **

Chapter 9 

When Rachel finally stepped into the kitchen that morning, she did _not_ expect to see Quinn in Hiram's arms, sobs coursing through the blonde as she clung tightly to the man. Her father ran his left hand soothingly over Quinn's back, obviously trying to comfort the girl whom he'd come to look at as another daughter. His right was in her blonde hair, as she cradled her head deeper into his shoulder.

Rachel froze. What had happened in the time she had taken a shower and changed? Was Beth okay? Was _Quinn_ okay? What was going on?

"Shhh, calm down. Everything's okay, you're okay. Shhh." Hiram kept saying over and over again, though his words did not have the intended effect. Quinn's sobs became harder every time he tried calming her.

He searched the kitchen for help and only now realized Rachel had joined them. Leroy was apparently with Beth, since neither the baby nor him were anywhere to be found.

Hiram's dark brown eyes, twins to Rachel's, looked pleadingly at his daughter. She had grown up exponentially this summer and he could not be more proud. He had always known she would be extraordinary once she left Lima. But the unexpected addition of Quinn and Beth to their family had allowed a side of her to shine he did not even know existed. Now, he was the one looking to her for help, not the other way around.

Rachel's confused eyes found her father's and she gave him a small nod and stepped up to the pair. She put one hesitant arm on Quinn's back, the blonde still trying to catch her breath through her sobs. As Rachel touched her, she instantly calmed a bit.

_Amazing, it's like they've always done this_, Hiram thought as the blonde turned out of his arms and into his daughter's, who was waiting for her.

And as Quinn clung to Rachel like a lifeline, the small brunette still unsure of what exactly what was going on, she knew this – she would always be waiting for Quinn with open arms. Just like they were now, in the kitchen of the house she grew up in, she knew they would have moments like this in their own home one day. Always comforting, always encouraging, always waiting for the other one to step into open arms that would always be there.

"Hey, beautiful. What's wrong? Is Beth okay?" Rachel tried to sound calm, but her own heart was racing now. She felt Quinn nod against her.

"Okay. Okay, just calm down." Rachel saw Hiram leave the two girls alone out of the corner of her eye. She assumed he was going to help Leroy get Beth ready. They would all have to leave soon or they were going to be late. She reluctantly detached herself from the taller girl and took in the sight before her. Even with mascara smeared down her face and a runny nose, Quinn's beauty took her breath away. She reached out and wiped the tears away from that striking face.

"You know, it's not fair." Rachel told Quinn. The blonde looked at her with a stunned expression.

"What's not fair?"

"That you can have a mini breakdown after no sleep for the better part of the week and still look this gorgeous. What's a girl to do?"

Quinn snorted, laughed and cried at the same time. The result was one heap of adorableness and Rachel felt herself falling a little bit more for the blonde.

"Well, I'm glad one of us thinks I'm gorgeous right now."

"You're always gorgeous. No matter when or where." Rachel replied automatically, no hesitation in her voice. It was as much a fact to her as snow was white or New York was her future home.

Quinn finally calmed enough to smile back at the brunette, a faint blush touching her cheeks. She turned from Rachel, grabbed her bag and got her makeup bag out. Sensing the blonde needed a moment to gather herself, Rachel turned to pour them both black and _strong _coffee.

"So, you want to talk about this?" She asked after a minute of silence.

Quinn paused. She _did_ want to talk about all the thoughts in her head; she owed it to herself and to Rachel to deal with them.

It was like reality had finally hit her square in the face this morning as she was showering. She was a Junior in high school. She was sixteen, almost seventeen, but not an adult by any stretch. She had a baby to care of. She didn't know if Puck was ever going to be in her daughter's life again. She was pretty sure she was in love with a girl. She was emancipated and her parents didn't care about her. She had moved out of the only home she'd ever known. She gained two dads who cared more for her than she could have ever imagined. She had no idea what she wanted do with the rest of her life.

She was in love with a girl. She _loved_ Rachel.

So many things were in her head; she lost it when Hiram asked her how she was doing this morning.

"I do. I just know this is going to be a longer conversation than we have time for right now. I'm okay, I promise. I know it didn't look like it when you came in. But I'm okay, or I will be. Please believe me. We'll talk about it tonight, okay?"

Rachel looked at the blonde for a long moment, deciding whether or not this was one of the times she should push Quinn to talk. Quinn's pleading hazel eyes and words gave her her answer.

"Okay, but we are talking about this later. If not tonight, then definitely this week sometime."

"Yes, boss. Scouts honor."

And just like that, the tension left the room and they were them again. Quinn accepted to coffee from Rachel's hand and allowed the hot liquid to calm her nerves further. She knew they would have to have a conversation about just happened, but she was thankful Rachel allowed the delay. It was as if the girl really could read her mind.

Then she heard Beth's small cooing sounds from the far corner of the kitchen and a huge smile grew on her face. Instantly, her daughter's presence made things right in her world.

Leroy walked into the kitchen, baby carrier in hand. The little girl was safely nestled into it, ready for her first day of daycare at the hospital. She looked like she was finally losing the fight with sleep and her eyelids were slowly drooping shut.

Quinn's heart melted. This was her daughter. Her child. She glanced at Rachel and saw the same love for the child in those eyes. Quinn melted some more.

Leroy, oblivious to what just transpired in the kitchen, didn't miss a beat.

"Okay, Miss Beth here is all ready to go and looks like she'll be fast asleep when we get there. I got the bag and the CD and I'm going with Hiram to drop her off on her first day. They already got all of our contact information if he's busy with patients and they can't reach him. Then I'll be getting her this afternoon and we'll all have dinner together. I'm thinking Thai. Did I forget anything?"

Three pairs of eyes stared at him, speechless.

"What?"

"Plan, much, daddy?"

"Coming from you, Miss-Always-Be-Prepared who has her acceptance speeches to the Tony's _and_ the Grammy's already written?"

"That's, that's not the point. In any case, I threw those out. I need to start over on them."

Now three pairs of eyes stared at her, speechless.

"What? Things, obviously, change." She made some gestures around the room, indicating the two extra people in the kitchen.

Hiram and Leroy shared a look that could only come with years of marriage and knowing the other person inside and out. They both knew _this_ had been inevitable from the moment Rachel came and spoke to them the night of Beth's birth. And they both approved, wholeheartedly.

That didn't mean one of them wasn't going to have a talk with Quinn about her intentions. But there would be time for that later. Hiram was first to recover.

"Right, well, girls. You better get going or you will be late. I promise I'll text you when we get to the hospital and Beth's settled." He directed his words at both of them, not just Quinn. In his mind, they were already Beth's parents.

Quinn smiled at him with thankful eyes again. She would never be able to begin to repay this family for what they did every day for them. But somehow she knew that's not how it worked. This is just what family _did_. They took care of each other.

With that in mind, she crossed the room to stand over her daughter, who had fallen asleep for good now. She crouched down, running one finger down the soft cheek, just as she had done the night of her birth. Just like then, Beth yawned and turned her head into her mother's touch.

"Hey there baby girl. You sleep all day, and get better. Be a good girl; don't give Hiram a hard time. I love you so much." She leaned in, dropped a tender kiss on her daughter's forehead before standing up and wiping stray tears from her eyes. She locked eyes with Rachel, who looked back with a knowing smile.

"Okay, I can do this. Leroy, Hiram, I know she's in the best of hands. We'll see you all tonight. Thai sounds great." She laughed and stepped into the men and gave them a hug. They both drew arms around the blonde and shared a moment of quiet before letting her go.

"Ready to go, Rach?"

"Yeah, just a second. Let me say bye to Miss Beth too." Rachel knelt down in the position Quinn had just occupied a moment before.

"Hey there, honey. We'll be going now, but don't worry. We'll see you tonight, for bath time and then I'll sing all your favorites to you. You'll see us again before you know it. Love you baby girl." Rachel leaned back and just looked at the sleeping infant in front of her, thankfulness flooding through her. This child, in the three months she had been in her life, had already changed her in immeasurable ways. She loved her as if she had given birth to her.

Standing up, she grabbed her bag off the table and turned to Quinn, who was wiping her eyes again. "I'm ready now."

"Okay then, let's go. I'm driving."

Rachel groaned, hoping they would make it to school in one piece. She still was shaken from the experience two days ago.

"Fine. But I would like to arrive at school with all my limbs attached."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar."

"Girls. School. Now!" Leroy interrupted the bantering before they got started, shooing them out of the kitchen, down the hall and out the front door. He laughed the whole way back to the kitchen, where he grabbed the baby carrier from the floor.

He turned to Hiram and said, "I do believe we have to get used to this. Quinn's not leaving."

"No, not if this morning is any indication. Rachel's already far gone."

"So is Miss Thing. Now, let's go and get Miss Thing Junior to daycare. I do have a job too."

"Oh, come on. Like you do anything in August. Tax season is like ten years away."

"Why do I stay with you again?"

"My good looks and money?"

"Oh yes, thank you for reminding me."

Laughing, they shared a quick kiss and walked out of their home.

XXXXXX

The car ride to school was quiet, safe for the soft music playing off Rachel's iPod. Quinn was going over her classes in her head, trying to remember which one she had first thing. She thought it was AP calculus, which she was looking forward to. Something about the way numbers and formulas made sense soothed her.

She'd never taken an AP class before this year, so she really had no idea what to expect. Though, from talking to Hiram, lots of homework and no social life should be about right.

_Not so different from right now, _the blonde mused.

She glanced over at Rachel, who was humming along with the music. Rachel looked - _content. _ Not at all worried about the first day of school, or anxious about Glee club, or stressed. As if she would be okay with whatever happened at school today or tomorrow or this year, just as long as she would get to have Quinn by her side.

Focusing back on the road, Quinn realized they had reached McKinley already.

_God, I really do speed. But she didn't look like she minded this time. _

She found a spot in the Junior lot, threw the car into park and turned to the brunette diva next to her. She knew Rachel called her gorgeous not twenty minutes ago, but in Quinn's mind, Rachel was the beautiful one. She took her breath away, no matter how many times she laid eyes on the girl.

Rachel stared back intensely and wanted nothing more than to kiss Quinn in that moment. She had no idea where the desire came from; they hadn't even been on an official date yet. Yet, somehow the moment just seemed so right. And so wrong at the same time.

She cleared her thoughts – she did not want their first kiss to be in the parking lot of the school with ten minutes to spare before classes started. Not to mention she did not want an audience for their first kiss. Second, third, hundredth, she didn't care. But that first would be special, Rachel was determined. Quinn just looked at her with warm eyes and a patient smile on her lips.

"So, in the spirit of full disclosure and honesty, which I have to warn you, I do believe in a relationship, I have to let you know I have to leave this car right now or I will kiss you. And I just talked myself out of doing it, but if you keep looking at me like that, I'll talk myself into it again and then our first kiss will be ruined." Rachel said, catching her breath. Quinn giggled.

"You're awfully sure we're going to have a first kiss. What if you decide I'm not dating material before we ever get there?"

"I could ask you the same. But I think we both know the answer to that question. Slow, we decided to take it slow. Kissing right now, would be the complete opposite of that. Not to mention unromantic."

"Okay, first kiss has to be romantic. Got it. I'll start making a list if you keep dropping hints."

"You're such a sucker. And I think all our kisses will be romantic. You know, once we start kissing."

"Yes, once we start kissing. Now, onward, beautiful. We have to get educated."

"Okay, okay." Rachel exited the small convertible, turned toward the back where Quinn was getting their bags out.

"What do you have first?"

"AP Calc, I think. You?"

"Honors English. The whole Glee club is in it, except you, I think. And Brittany maybe?"

"Okay then. Could you text me if Puck's there?"

"Yeah, of course. You think he's calmed down at all?"

"Who knows? I've left so many messages with his mom. If he wants to talk, he knows where I live."

They walked towards the double doors leading into the school. Students were passing them left and right, some openly staring at Quinn, but the two girls were in their bubble. Quinn got her phone out as they approached the doors, checking for a message from Leroy.

She was starting to feel anxious again now, having never left Beth with strangers for a whole day before. She wasn't disappointed:

**Miss Thing Junior was asleep before we left the house. Still out when we got to daycare. Made sure they play the CD for her if she gets cranky later. You can call them during lunch, I told them you probably will. See you both for dinner. Now go be smart. Love you both.**

_Thank God for these men, _the young mother thought as she turned to Rachel, showing her the text. Grinning, the brunette got her phone out of her pocket and found the same message.

"So, looks like we really have no excuse anymore." Quinn said, looking up at the school and the McKinley High Sign above them.

"Nope, we're stuck. And we don't even have classes together." Rachel pouted as they finally pushed the doors open.

"Hey now – I thought you were _all proud_ I was taking these advanced classes. You had my career all planned out on Saturday."

"Well before _someone_ stopped me."

"Whatever."

"I am proud of you. I just, I don't know. I'll miss you." Rachel finished in a hushed tone as they made their way to their lockers. The brunette had somehow made sure they were next to each other this year.

Quinn turned to open her locker, put her bag in and shut it again, while Rachel did the same. She grabbed Rachel's hand and spun her around to look at her.

"Hey, look at me. I'll miss you too. But I'll see you in Glee and then all night at home. And, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can even keep me updated on your day." She held up her phone, grinning at the girl.

Rachel smiled broadly, glad Quinn returned her sentiment.

"Yes, you're right of course. Now, we better get going. I'll see you in the choir room. Don't be late, Fabray."

"Yes, Berry."

The first bell rang, indicating they had about sixty seconds to make it to class. Quinn hesitated, then thought, _Screw it, _and hugged Rachel tight and kissed her forehead.

Then, she turned around to run down the hallway and up the stairs to the part of the school where math classes were held.

Rachel stared after her, frozen in place.

_This is going to be a long day, _she thought when she finally realized she really had to get to class. She spun around and made it to Honors English just in time.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the alerts/reviews/favorites. Those notices really do make my day. Keep them coming! And I promise we wil get back to the present SOON. Probably one more chapter, then we'll leave this flashback. Let me know your thoughts. Enjoy! **

Chapter 10

Quinn's day passed relatively uneventful. Other than that with each passing AP class she was wishing she had signed up for honors instead, not much happened. Sure, some people stared at her still, but she was so used to that from last year, it didn't bother her anymore.

Plus, she was now in classes with the "intellectual crowd" of McKinley, and these kids honestly didn't seem to care she was an unwed teenage mother. They seemed genuinely interested in getting the best education Lima had to offer, and even Quinn could appreciate that.

Though she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life yet, these classes would at least put her on the right track. Cheerleading and coasting through school was not good enough for Beth. Or Rachel.

_Or me, _Quinn mused as she made her way to her locker between classes to stow away her AP Bio book, which was about the size of four books combined. She checked her phone, though it hadn't gone off since after first period, when Rachel informed her Puck was indeed not in school and her phone was about to die. They had passed each other in the hall several times, but never long enough to really talk. The first day was busy for everyone, and even the normal cliques of high school hadn't found each other yet. Quinn hadn't even seen Brittany or Santana.

She shut the locker, turned around and was faced with three people: Kurt, Mercedes and Mike.

Odd, but whatever.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Quinn said casually; already turning down the hall to get to her last class before Glee.

"We're walking to Spanish and haven't seen you all day. You want to join us?" Mercedes said, smile on her face. Quinn smiled back; she really did owe this girl.

"I'm not in Spanish anymore. I tested out of it."

"What? How?"

"They let me take a test over the summer and Rachel wrote the school a letter why it was unnecessary for me to take the class since I would be focusing on higher academics from now on. So, yeah. I have AP Chem now. Yay me." Quinn finished lamely.

"AP Chem? Who are you and where is Quinn Fabray?" Kurt said, smug look on his face, as if he thought this was a big joke.

"Yeah, Quinn. What's with the schedule? You have no classes with any of us." Mercedes asked as the first bell rang.

"I know. It just didn't work out that way. I gotta get my act together with Beth and all. I figured getting a head start on college wouldn't be so bad."

"Yeah, but you're in classes with all the losers now."

"Are you going to join the Math team too?"

Quinn couldn't believe what she was hearing. These were the same kids who had been teased and bullied all last year for being in Glee, and now they were teasing _her_ for being smart and actually making an effort?

Wasn't that like reverse discrimination or something? She so didn't have time to deal with this crap.

"Listen, think whatever you want to, but I have to get to class. I'll see you all in Glee."

With that, she turned on her heel and did the best imitation of a Rachel Berry storm out she could muster.

Last year's Quinn would have been embarrassed and tried to downplay the situation, saying her parents were making her take the classes. Last year's Quinn would have worried about her reputation being tainted by taking classes with the geeks and nerds of the school. Last year's Quinn would probably have come up with an excuse why she couldn't handle the workload and had a new schedule by the end of the firs t day. Last year's Quinn didn't care much about the future beyond Friday night's game.

But today, as she took her seat in AP Chem and returned the confused looks of the six other students with a smile, Quinn cared. She cared Beth had a mom she could be proud of. She cared Rachel had a passion that drove every decision she ever made. She cared she didn't have a zeal like that, other than taking care of Beth. She cared enough to load up on a ridiculously hard schedule to figure out what she was supposed to do with her life. She cared enough _not to_ care about her reputation anymore. And she certainly cared about the future and making sure it included Beth _and _Rachel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel finally slowed down enough to breathe as she made her way into her beloved choir room. Her whole day had flown by, she hadn't been slushied once and she was just overall _bouncy_. She was pretty sure she was flying high on adrenaline and caffeine and would crash rather badly tonight. She just (not entirely unselfishly) hoped Beth was better and they all would get _some_ sleep tonight.

She had seen the entirety of the Glee club throughout her classes, sans Puck of course. Finn told her nonchalantly during lunch that he was in juvenile detention. Rachel almost dropped her tray on the floor, immediately thinking of Quinn, who had a different lunch period this year. Finn just kept walking through the line, talking like Puck's situation wasn't a big deal or unexpected.

_Well, I guess it isn't entirely unexpected, _Rachel grimaced as she made it to the choir room first. She just hoped she would be able to break the news to Quinn and that the blonde hadn't heard yet. She had enough on her mind and didn't need yet another thing to worry about.

As the Glee kids filtered in the room, Rachel's thoughts shifted to the year ahead. They had so much work to do if they wanted to place for Nationals this year. Julliard's application process for early admission began soon. Rachel knew she probably should have a back-up plan, or at least another college in New York she would consider, but she decided to focus on Julliard first. When she got admitted through early admission, all would be well.

Finn took the seat next to her, where he had been all last year. He swung his long lanky arm over the back of her seat, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. As if they hadn't just spent a whole summer _not_ talking.

She shook her head slightly and muttered, "Men", under her breath.

Another item to add to her list: tell Finn she _definitely_ wasn't interested anymore. Hopefully that could wait just a little while.

"Hey Rach, how was the rest of your day?" Finn asked her, using a tone that told her it wouldn't wait.

"It was fine. I don't think academically this year will be very challenging. Which is great because it will allow me to focus all my efforts on my family and on Julliard's early acceptance process."

Even Finn noticed that Julliard wasn't first on Rachel's list. He gave her an odd look.

"Your family? Your dads? That's cool, I guess."

"Yes, but I guess I meant Beth and Quinn mostly. Beth can be quite the handful. Just this weekend, she…" Rachel started out grinning, only to be cut off by Finn holding his large hands up.

"Hold up, what do you mean? You think _she's_ your family now?"

All of the club and Mr. Shue, except Quinn, had arrived by now and weren't even pto listen in subtlety. They were as much interested in Rachel's answer as Finn was.

"What makes you think that's any of your business?" Quinn's voice sounded from the door. She looked out of breath, but still sounded as confident as she had been in her best HBIC days. Rachel shot her a grateful smile.

Will Shuester took this as his cue to actually take charge of his club for at least this first meeting of the year and began a standard "Welcome Back" speech. _Most_ of the students turned to him and looked like they were listening.

Quinn was never so grateful for Mr. Shue's cheesy speeches as she was then. She really did not want to get into an argument her first day. And definitely not with Finn, who was obviously still pining over Rachel. _Her_ Rachel. Definitely unacceptable. But they had agreed to take it slow and she had no real status as girlfriend she could throw into the boy's face. Yet.

She gave a barely there nod to Santana and Brittany before moving further into the room and taking the seat on Rachel's other side.

She gave the brunette's forearms a light squeeze and leaned into her to whisper, "You are my family."

Rachel looked up at her, brown eyes losing themselves in the hazel one. She couldn't believe they were having this moment now, in the middle of Glee club, in the middle of one of Mr. Shue's ridiculously predictable speeches.

She took Quinn's hand gently from her arm, and whispered, "Later, we'll talk at home," back to the blonde, who was so quickly becoming her life.

Quinn nodded, shot Finn one last glance and then focused on Mr. Shue, who seemed to be finishing up.

_Yes, this is going to be an interesting year, _both girls thought as their teacher laid out his plans for them to place at Nationals this year.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The meeting ended and Quinn told Rachel she'd catch up with her in the parking lot. She wanted to at least say hello to her old teammates and make some type of effort to be friends with them. Rachel nodded in agreement and watched the blonde leave the room. She was left alone with Finn, who obviously had lingered to talk to her.

Was he really wanting to do this now? On their first day back?

"Finn, you _clearly_ have something on your mind. Contrary to popular belief, I do not have a sixth sense and I'm rather tired today, so could you just tell me what you're thinking about?" Rachel finished, sounding irritated even to her. She sighed, silently cursing herself.

It wasn't Finn's fault she was exhausted. It was just life.

"Rach, what's going on? You're never like this. "

"Like what?"

"Short with people, with me. It's not like you."

She sighed again. What did she ever see in him?

She closed her eyes, and turned away as she gathered her things to walk out of the room.

"Finn, if you're just going to insult me, I'd rather not have this conversation. Quinn's waiting. Beth's been sick and I'm sure she's anxious to get home."

"See, that's exactly what I mean. Quinn doesn't care about you, how can you put her before yourself like this? And _Beth_? How can you help her take care of that kid, after what she did to Puck? And to me?" He all but spat out Beth's name.

And Rachel forgot her manners. She forgot she ever thought she could love him. She forgot everything but her love for that little girl. She dropped her bag and whipped around, index finger raised at Finn.

"Listen, and listen good, Finn Hudson. Don't ever use that tone again when you talk about Beth, not to me, especially not to Quinn. I will walk away right now from you and forget any sort of relationship we ever had. If Quinn were here, you would probably not be so lucky. From now one we are co-captains of this club, nothing else. That little girl has brought nothing but joy in my life. How dare you question that? You have no clue what this summer has been like. No one from this club, our supposed friends, bothered to stop by, or call. Except Mercedes. So do not assume you know me, Finn. And to answer your earlier question, yes Quinn and Beth are family now. And you should know better than to mock that."

Finn just looked at her, dumbfounded, as if he was having trouble processing the words that shot out of her mouth.

But Rachel wasn't done.

"And just so we're _really _clear – whatever you were planning on asking me before you insulted my family. Forget about it. We are done, so done. I am not interested. Not now, or ever. So please don't try. I mean it."

With that, she grabbed her bag and made her way out the choir room, leaving him behind. She let the door shut behind her and all but ran into Quinn. The blonde smiled, clearly having been privy to her spat with Finn.

Quinn raised an amused eyebrow.

"So – you're not interested, huh?"

"What? Yes, oh you mean, him? How long have you been standing there?" Rachel was flustered, unsure what to say. What was this blonde doing to her? Rachel Berry was _never_ flustered.

"Long enough to hear you defend Beth and call me family and shut down Finn before he could even say anything. You always had a way with words, beautiful."

Rachel melted.

"You know, if you keep calling me that, I might start believing it."

"Good. It's true."

Rachel melted some more. And blushed for good measure.

"Well, I'm glad you think so. Now, can we go? I really don't feel like running into him again today."

"Yeah. Hiram actually just texted me that he was home already and Beth's doing much better. He said we should all be able to sleep tonight. Let's hope he's right."

"Yes, I sure hope so. I'm fading fast. I don't even feel like singing."

Quinn looked at her like the world was coming to an end.

"My child is ruining Rachel Berry's future stardom. Maybe we should move out." She said with a dramatic tone in her voice.

"Hey – don't even joke about that. It's not funny."

Quinn just laughed. "Oh, I don't think you can rid of us now, even if you wanted to."

"That will never happen. You can believe me on that one."

"Okay, then. Now, get in. I miss my baby."

"God, so bossy."

"I'll show you bossy."

And as the Audi peeled out of the empty lot, Rachel wished she hadn't bickered with the blonde so much because her driving was always worst when that happened.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: THANK YOU to all who have alerted/reviewed, etc. I absolutely LOVE getting those emails, it really makes my day. So please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think of this. I apologize this is a shorter chapter, but we'll be getting back to the present again with the next one. My work has been crazy and it's hard to find adequate time to crank out longer chapters. Hope you enjoy!  
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Chapter 11

That night over dinner, Beth already tucked in; Rachel explained to Quinn what happened with Puck.

The blonde's eyes almost immediately clouded over with tears, full of guilt and regret. Guilt over Puck's actions, regret over not handling the situation better, and tears for the little girl sleeping upstairs whose father hadn't bothered to visit her even once.

Rachel sat quietly, at a loss how to comfort Quinn. It was Leroy who stepped in, knelt by the blonde's seat, and took her hands into his large ones.

"Now, Miss Thing, look at me. Look me in the eye. No tears over that boy, you hear? He is the only one responsible for his actions, no one else. You do not need to feel guilty, angry, sad, or anything else that's going through that pretty head of yours."

Quinn smiled at him weakly, willing tears not to spill down her face.

"You've done everything you had to for that little girl sleeping upstairs. You're the one who has hardly slept for a week. You're the one who gets up to feed her every night. You're the one who sacrificed one family for another, without knowing how it would go. You're the one who should be proud. Because I am. So proud of you. You have turned out to be one hell of a mother. And one hell of a daughter to us. Okay?"

Quinn just nodded at him, unable to speak still. He opened his big arms and held her tight, letting her break down for the second time that day.

"Shh, now you calm down. You're okay. You're just fine. And, just so we're clear - I know you'll make one hell of girlfriend to Miss Diva here once you decide to go there."

At that Quinn just blushed furiously and looked at Rachel, who was looking at the table, her food, her other father; anything but Quinn or Leroy.

Quinn felt lost as she pulled back from Leroy's embrace. She thought Rachel and her's relationship, whatever it was at this point, was still known only to them. Leroy only chuckled and shared a knowing look with his husband and gripped Quinn's hands tighter.

"Parents just know these things, you'll learn. Hiram and I approve, in case you were wondering. But don't you go breaking our little girl's heart." He turned to Rachel. "Same goes for you."

Both girls mumbled a quiet, "Yes, sir." That made Leroy chuckle even more and he got up from his position by Quinn's chair and sat back down in his own.

"Hey, no need to be embarrassed. I'm assuming this is a new development, right?"

They both nodded, looking at their food as if it held the answers to all of life's questions.

Hiram stepped in, seeing how uncomfortable the girls had gotten. Sometimes his husband's good intentions took it one step too far.

"What we mean is that we support you both. You're family, and we take care of each other. So just remember that, okay? And if you need to talk about, you know, anything, really, come to us. Don't feel like you can't. We're here."

Rachel's heart thumped in her chest. She finally glanced at Quinn again, who looked like she just wanted out of this conversation. It was awkward for all parties involved. She cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"Dad, Daddy. While I, _we_, appreciate the forwardness and openness, this is beyond uncomfortable at this point. We've agreed to take it slow, figure things out as go along. Don't worry, we will come and talk with you. We promise. Now, can we move on? Aren't you going to ask about school, you know, like normal parents?"

"Baby, when has this family ever been normal?" Leroy asked with a smile and a wink at Quinn. The blonde relaxed visibly, glad for the change of topic.

"Well, tonight might be a good night to start."

"You know you'd just miss our crazy. But, if I _must_, how was school?"

The tension left the room and as they finished their meal, the girls recounting their day, Quinn and Rachel shared shy glances across the table.

And Hiram and Leroy shared knowing glances as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the week passed much the same. Beth was better, but she was still an infant and middle of the night feedings were part of the routine. They were used to it, but adding school in the mix was _challenging_.

The girls never talked about Quinn's semi-breakdown on Monday because they were both too exhausted. Trying to put Beth on the new schedule, all the while keeping up with mountains of homework (in Quinn's case) and Glee club (for Rachel) made them appreciate weekends all the more.

Quinn tried not to dwell on Puck's actions. She had taken Leroy's words to heart and realized she had no control over him. Even if he had been around, he would still do as he pleased. Maybe him not being there at all was for the better.

She threw herself into academics and even after one week, learned she absolutely loved science and math. It came to her as easily as cheerleading had in her other life, before Beth. Now, she was finding a new passion, one she never knew she had.

She had wanted to spend more time with Rachel, but their schedules were proving to be complete opposite. They saw each other on the way to school, in Glee three afternoons a week and of course at home. But Beth and homework prevented any quality time.

Glee club had calmed down after the first drama filled day. There was still palpable tension, but at least they were working together as a group again. Rachel was giving it her best effort to work with Finn and coach him to be a better leading man. Quinn gave it her best effort to stare down any romantic advances the boy made.

And Finn gave it his best effort to make sense of the weird relationship the girls had now. And the rest of the club was right there with him.

The two girls in question couldn't care less. They had learned what was important during the summer: gossip and popularity didn't even rank on the list. They just went about their lives as best they could. But even after a week of school, the gossip mill was in full swing.

So when Friday night came around and Rachel's parents offered to take Beth out shopping with them, both Quinn and Rachel were thankful for a quiet night in.

Both were sprawled on the floor in Quinn's room, listening to the latest _Stars_ album that Quinn had discovered recently. Rachel hummed softly to the songs and Quinn just closed her eyes and rested. It was heavenly. And it made her laugh.

"You know, we're missing the first one."

"First what?"

"Game of the season. Last year, that would have been all I was worried about all week."

"Oh. I forgot too."

"Yeah, well, in your words – _things change_."

"They do, don't they?"

"Yeah."

They lapsed into comfortable silence again. There were words to be said but both were content for the moment, just to lay next to each other without a care in the world. Even if only for a moment.

It was Quinn who broke the stillness again.

"I'm sorry about Monday, about the emotional mess I was. I thought I could do better."

Rachel hesitated; she hadn't expected Quinn wanted to talk about anything important tonight, just enjoy their night off. She wasn't sure how to go about this conversation. She huffed inside – Quinn Fabray was the only person in the world who she ever felt uncertain around. And it was becoming quite the regular occurrence.

"It's okay. No one expects you to be the strong one all the time, you know." Rachel stated simply.

"I know. I just feel I have to be."

Silence again.

"Why?" Rachel asked after a few minutes passed.

Now Quinn hesitated, thoughts swirling through her head. Her whole life, important moments and conversations had been swept under the rug. Appearances were most important. How you were perceived, not who you really were.

Since Beth's birth, this false mindset so ingrained into her psyche had slowly been collapsing. All the late night talks with the small diva next to her had helped tremendously. Quinn had meant what she said over breakfast last week: she wanted to be better.

She just had a hard time wrapping her mind around that _better_ didn't necessarily always mean _stronger_.

_Okay, time to speak, Fabray. She's probably freaking out._

"It's the Fabray way. Breaking down like that with your dads, I think it was the first time since Beth's birth I really cried. And it felt good, letting it all out like that. But it made me feel weak too, in a weird way. My dad would have just told me to get over it and move on. But your dads held me and told me it's okay."

She turned over and leaned on her elbow, looking directly at the brunette.

"I guess what I mean, is that I still feel I have to look like I have it all together. Like I know what I'm doing with Beth, with life, with you. But honestly, really honestly, Rach – I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time."

"Quinn, that's the furthest thing from the truth I've ever heard. You're doing amazingly. You're the strongest person I know."

Quinn looked away shyly, not sure she was deserving of the praise.

"Thanks, Rach. It's just _a lot_, you know?"

"I know. But I'm here. My dads are here. We're all in this together. You just have to let us be there more for you. "

"I'm trying. Really, I am. I meant what I said, beautiful. I want to be better, for Beth, for you."

"You're already better. Don't feel like you have to become this super-person before you're good enough. You'll never get there if you think like that."

Quinn paused and something inside her clicked. She had been trying so hard to be this new and improved version of herself, to finally be good enough for Beth and Rachel. To show everyone she had changed.

Rachel's words resounded in her mind. She was still doing it. She was still trying to impress the world with her appearances. Sure, her motives were vastly different now. But what Rachel had said had truth in it she couldn't deny.

Rachel saw the change on Quinn's face and could guess what she was thinking. She had watched the blonde change over the summer, becoming a mother, a responsible individual who anyone would be proud to have as part of their family. But Quinn was restless, always thinking she needed to change more, to be better, to make Beth proud of her. Her motivation was noble, but Rachel was afraid it was smothering the girl too.

Quinn was meant to fly, not to be bogged down by guilt and sense of responsibility. Rachel had seen a glimpse of that Quinn, the one who could fly, when Quinn spoke with her mother at the hospital. That Quinn was on fire, and wanted nothing more than to be with her daughter, no matter the consequences or circumstances. And Rachel hoped tonight, she would reappear.

"You'll exhaust yourself, gorgeous. You, right now, at this moment, are perfect. Sure, we have to work on ourselves to accomplish things, but not to the point where we lose who we are. Quinn, Beth couldn't have anyone better in her life. You don't have to try so hard. We already love you."

Quinn's eyes widened comically at the implication Rachel was making. Rachel continued quickly, passing over the blonde's expression.

"Yes, love you. I might not be completely in love with you yet, but I think I'm close. And I'm telling you, you don't have to impress me. Do those things for you. Be better for yourself. Your family already loves you. And we'll be here. No matter if you take AP classes or if you drop out."

Quinn scoffed.

"I mean it. You've only been around my dads for three months, but I'm serious. They raised me not to judge anyone, anyone's choices, or life decisions. We will support you. I promise."

One look into Rachel's chocolate brown eyes told Quinn that the brunette would never make promises lightly. One look and Quinn's anxiety vanished. One look and she felt home again. One look and she knew she would never want to be with anyone else again. One look and she was Rachel Berry's for life.

"Okay." One simple word in reply and it made sense. They made sense.

"Okay?"

Quinn nodded again.

"Yeah. I get it." She said confidently, feeling more sure of herself than she had in a long time.

"Okay. Now, I think that's enough heavy stuff for tonight, don't you think?"

Quinn grinned at her and just nodded again.

"I suppose. Why, what do you have in mind?"

"Well, how do you feel about Funny Girl?"

"The same way I felt about the last ten times we watched it."

"Well, give it another chance."

"Sure, beautiful. I'd love to. Let's go."

They both got up, made their way into the living room to watch Rachel's all-time favorite movie. And not ten minutes in, they were curled up around each other, passed out in well-deserved sleep.

**Hate it? Love it? Leave me a note! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you again so much to everyone who reviewed, alerted and put this story on their favorite list. It really really really makes the writing easier knowing you are enjoying it. This chapter puts us back in the present. I did something a little different here and I hope you all enjoy it!  
><strong>

Chapter 12 

A sharp cry interrupted Rachel's walk down memory lane.

Her by now well-trained ear told her it was Ethan again, who had been nothing but fussy since Quinn left. She was out of the office and into the nursery in a flash, hoping to pick him up before the little boy woke his sisters.

As she leaned over his crib and gently picked him up, she felt her heart flooding with love all over again.

He was _too_ precious, even when he was crying at the top of his lungs.

Rachel walked out of the nursery, Ethan in her arm, closed the door and made her way into their spacious bedroom. Standing by her nightstand next to the baby monitor, she rocked him back and forth as she waited for Olivia to start crying. After a full minute of silence from the nursery, she breathed a sigh of relief that at least one of them was getting back to their regular schedule.

Looking down at her son, who was now fully awake, but only whimpering and fighting to catch his breath, she murmured softly, "You know, just because you're the only man in the house, doesn't mean you get all the attention."

Ethan seemed to understand her and a loud wail came again from his tiny body. Rachel put him up against her shoulder, ran her hand soothingly down his back and began to walk the length of the room.

"Shh, baby boy. It's okay, I was just kidding. I know you miss your mom. I do too. Shh, just calm down."

She kept saying over and over again, hoping it would soothe the little boy back to sleep, or at least calm his crying.

A glance at the alarm clock on Quinn's side of the bed told her it was a little after eleven. She had spent more time reminiscing than she had realized and hadn't even responded to Quinn's email. For someone who prided themselves on being intensely focused, she was failing miserable today.

After thirty more minutes of soothing and swaying, the baby in her arms had finally calmed down and Rachel his eyelids fluttered shut, only to open again two seconds later. He was proving to be as stubborn as Quinn, even without any of her genes.

Finally, he lost his fight and fell asleep against his mother's shoulder. Gently and quietly, Rachel placed him in the bassinet they still kept in their bedroom for times like these. Even in sleep, he was breathing heavily and still calming from his crying fit. Quinn was the one who usually took him when he was this riled up and sang to him quietly; her soft voice worked magic on him.

Quinn. If she was lucky, she'd have time to write her back before lunch and their afternoon plans. She really hoped the cell networks would be fixed sooner rather than later. Parents with infants did not have time to sit down and type out lengthy messages!

After she grabbed the laptop from her desk and situated herself on their bed to keep an eye on her son, Rachel just leaned back on her pillows. She was really looking forward to having Quinn home again, even though the blonde would be heading back to work before her. Her ER schedule had become somewhat unpredictable but Quinn had promised she would be home more now that the twins were born.

Rachel didn't doubt her wife's promise; she never had a reason to. Quinn had been at every appointment during her pregnancy and waited on her hand and foot. She told Rachel it was finally time to repay her for doing everything for her when Beth had been a baby. Rachel always told her repayment was not necessary, but she would indulge her wife.

It _was_ nice to be waited on, after all.

Rachel smiled to herself and remembered the two of them, barely old enough to drive trying to figure out love, life, parenting and everything in between. She didn't regret her decisions then or now. With a look at the baby now sleeping peacefully next to her, she thought, _No, definitely no regrets. _

She sat up and opened her laptop, ready to reply to Quinn's email when she heard a distinct _ping! _sound and an instant message window popped up. It had been Quinn's idea to download the program so they could talk when she was at the hospital in her office but couldn't keep a phone conversation up. Why hadn't she thought of that before?

_Oh yes, babies. _

DrQFabray: Hey!

**BroadwaySuperstar: Excited or something? **

DrQFabray: Wow, someone's cranky. I can get off if you don't want to talk to me.

**BroadwaySuperstar: BABY! **

DrQFabray: I'm just kidding, beautiful.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Not feeling beautiful right about now. Your son is not a happy camper this morning.**

DrQFabray: My son huh? Is he okay? Do I need to call the hospital? They have landlines, you know.

**BroadwaySuperstar: He's asleep for now. You worry too much. Babies do this you know? He just misses you. **

DrQFabray: I miss him too. And the girls. And you. Why did I come here again?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Because you're this hot hotshot doctor and all important and stuff. **

DrQFabray: Hot huh?

**BroadwaySuperstar: God, it's like you're still 16 sometimes. **

DrQFabray: Look who's talking…

**BroadwaySuperstar: Anyways…why are you up so early? You don't have workshops till this afternoon, right? Shouldn't you be enjoying sleeping in or something?**

DrQFabray: I haven't slept in in almost fourteen years. I don't think I could if I tried. I have no idea how you do it still.

**BroadwaySuperstar: It's a gift. **

DrQFabray: Well, you should share.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Aww, baby, stop pouting. **

DrQFabray: I'm not pouting.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Riiiight. **

DrQFabray: Whatever. I'm glad I thought of this thing. You remember we used to Facebook chat on our phones during school all the time?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Yes! First time I ever got detention because of you doing that. Why didn't we just text? **

DrQFabray: Because Facebook was cooler?

**BroadwaySuperstar: I guess at 16 we thought so.**

DrQFabray: Yeah.

**BroadwaySuperstar: So really, why are you up?**

DrQFabray: Babe, it's 8am here. I was about to go for a run.

**BroadwaySuperstar: You really can't just take a day off, can you?**

DrQFabray: Nope. I have a spectacular work ethic and discipline.

**BroadwaySuperstar: And she's so humble too. **

DrQFabray: That's right. I'm a great catch. You should feel lucky you landed me.

**BroadwaySuperstar:** **I don't even know what to say to you.**

DrQFabray: Now I know something's wrong. Rachel Berry is never speechless.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Fabray. The name is Fabray. And around you, I usually am. Ever since high school. You fluster me still. **

DrQFabray: Aww, baby. I've been thinking about high school too. And I know the name is Fabray. It's mine too, you know.

**BroadwaySuperstar: One would think you could remember that. It's been mine for a while now.**

DrQFabray: I know. I'm sorry. Forgive me?

**BroadwaySuperstar: You had me at hello.**

DrQFabray: I can't believe you just quoted that movie.

**BroadwaySuperstar: What? It's a classic.**

DrQFabray: Classically BORING.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Ugh. Just because you don't like romcoms doesn't mean the rest of the world agrees.**

DrQFabray: I know, I know. Not everyone can be as evolved.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Again, the humility. How did I ever fall for you?**

DrQFabray: It was the cute baby.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Ahh, yeah, now I remember. **

DrQFabray: How is she?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Sleeping. Went straight back to bed after breakfast. **

DrQFabray: Poor thing. We need to do something good for her when I get back.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Agreed. We'll think of something. We had some good quality time yesterday when the twins were napping. **

DrQFabray: Good, I'm glad. God, I miss them all so much.

**BroadwaySuperstar: I know, baby. We miss you too. Even Beth, though I think she's too cool to admit it. **

DrQFabray: Well, she is my daughter.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Mine too.**

DrQFabray: Yes. True story.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Did you really just say that?**

DrQFabray: Yes, can I take that back? I'm tired.

**BroadwaySuperstar: So go back to sleep! I want to live vicariously through you.**

DrQFabray: I can't. Thinking about too much.

**BroadwaySuperstar: About what? Everything okay? Did something happen?**

DrQFabray: Calm down, Miss Diva. Everything's fine.

**BroadwaySuperstar: What then? I can tell there's something you're not saying. I know you.**

DrQFabray: That you do, love. That you do.

**BroadwaySuperstar: I love when you call me love.**

DrQFabray: I'll remember that, love.

**BroadwaySuperstar: You can still make me swoon…**

DrQFabray: Good to know I still got it. With three kids you think I'd be boring by now.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Well, you are most of the time.**

DrQFabray: God, you really know how to make a girl feel special.

**BroadwaySuperstar: I just have to make sure it doesn't get to your head. You must be the big thing out there. **

DrQFabray: Yeah, I even got asked on a date.

**BroadwaySuperstar: I saw that. Men.**

DrQFabray: Yeah…what can I do? I'm hot.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Mmhh, can't argue with that one. **

DrQFabray: …..

**BroadwaySuperstar: Stop changing the topic. Tell me what's up.**

DrQFabray: Okay, love. I have some bad news and some good news.

**BroadwaySuperstar: I am NOT moving to Seattle.**

DrQFabray: What? Why would you even think that?

**BroadwaySuperstar: That's like the worst thing I could think of right away.**

DrQFabray: You're hilarious. No, we're not moving. But I do have to go back to work earlier than we had planned…

**BroadwaySuperstar: Oh…okay then. Like when?**

DrQFabray: Next week probably. The week after the latest.

**BroadwaySuperstar: What? Why?**

DrQFabray: Well, that's the good news.

**BroadwaySuperstar: What is it? I'm on the edge of my seat here. **

DrQFabray: Calm yourself. It's nothing bad. That's why they call it 'good news'.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Just tell me already! **

DrQFabray: Well, here goes nothing…

**BroadwaySuperstar: Quinn Fabray! I swear I will not have sex with you for a month if you don't tell me now!**

DrQFabray: Baby, you know you're lying now.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Whatever. **

DrQFabray: I'm sorry. Tired, remember?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Yes, sorry too. Tell me? Please?**

DrQFabray: Yes, of course. Well, it's a longer story than I really want to type out here and I don't have all the details yet. But I should soon and then we can talk about it more. But NYU is offering me a teaching position.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Wait, what?**

DrQFabray: As in, they think I should teach medical students about trauma.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Who does?**

DrQFabray: Williams told me last night. I don't know anything else. But they want me to start over the summer session to ease into it. Which means I have to train my replacement in the ER. Hence, the going back to work earlier than planned.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Baby, that's so great. **

DrQFabray: Why do I have a feeling now you're the one not saying something?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Why do you know me so well?**

DrQFabray: Because we've been together basically half our lives by now?

**BroadwaySuperstar: We're only 29! **

DrQFabray: Well, almost half our lives. Anyway, speak, woman.

**BroadwaySuperstar: You mean type. **

DrQFabray: Rachel….

**BroadwaySuperstar: Is that what you want? Teach I mean? **

DrQFabray: It never crossed my mind before last night. Honestly, I have no idea if I'll be good at it.

**BroadwaySuperstar: But you want to do it?**

DrQFabray: I want to do get all the details, then talk more. Preferably in person, but they might need an answer before I leave here. But what I want is to be able to go to Beth's play and not be afraid to get paged in the middle of it. I want to be able to call your dads up to watch the kids and take you away for a weekend at the cabin and not worry about work so much. And I really really don't want to miss the twins' milestones. And this opportunity might just give me all that.

**BroadwaySuperstar: How do you always say the right things?**

DrQFabray: That's my gift, love.

**BroadwaySuperstar: But trauma was always what it was about. **

DrQFabray: I know. I know. But it's not just about my dream, it's about our family. I want to be there more.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Okay. Find out the details from the boss and then we'll talk more. **

DrQFabray: I will. Any news on the cell networks?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Last I heard they might be back up tomorrow or Friday.**

DrQFabray: Great. I miss you.

**BroadwaySuperstar: And I you. I really do. You think we'd be better at this. Being adults and all that.**

DrQFabray: Screw being an adult. We've never been apart like this, did you ever think about that?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Really? I guess you're right. **

DrQFabray: Yeah, even when you were filming Beth and I came.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Well that explains the separation anxiety then. **

DrQFabray: Yes, I suppose it does.

**BroadwaySuperstar: You'll be home soon enough. Just a couple more days. And you'll have hot young doctors asking you out left and right and forget all about your happy domestic life here. **

DrQFabray: Never. All I'm interested in is a happy domestic life. And hot young Broadway stars.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Mmhh, anyone in particular?**

DrQFabray: There's this short brunette. Huge voice. I heard she's quite the diva though.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Really? I heard she's kinda boring.**

DrQFabray: Is she now?

**BroadwaySuperstar: Yea, she has three kids and has been married for ages. Boring! **

DrQFabray: Sounds like I can do better then.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Umm….**

DrQFabray: Kidding, baby.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Okay then. Ethan's waking up. I better go.**

DrQFabray: Kiss him for me. I wish I was there to help.

**BroadwaySuperstar: I know, baby. You'll be here soon. **

DrQFabray: I know. I can't wait to kiss you either.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Same here. I can't believe we've never gone this long without kissing. **

DrQFabray: Yeah. We're pretty awesome.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Haha, yes. I love us. **

DrQFabray: Me too, love. Now go. Our son needs his mother.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Going going. Love you.**

DrQFabray: Love you more.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Impossible.**

DrQFabray: Whatever.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Smartass. Bye. **

DrQFabray: And we're back to that. Love you.

**BroadwaySuperstar: You said that already.**

DrQFabray: I know.

**BroadwaySuperstar: Well, I love you too. Now bye. **

DrQFabray: Bye. See you sooooooon.

_DrQFabray has signed off. _

Rachel signed off as well, a huge smile never leaving her face. Even as Ethan's cries grew louder and she heard Olivia waking up over the monitor, she kept smiling.

_It's ridiculous how much I love that woman._

* * *

><p>In Seattle, Quinn left her suite, made her way out of the hotel and to a local park to start her daily run. Even after all these years, running helped clear her mind and sort her thoughts. It was after a run she realized her feelings for Rachel were genuine. And many times after that morning, running helped her deal with all the pressure of life. Or the responsibilities of parenting. Then the stresses of medical school. Now this decision.<p>

Quinn was torn. Trauma medicine came easy to her; the research to improve it had been her life for so many years now. It was hard thinking about giving up the hands-on side of it.

But the kids were this age only once and Beth was going to high school and it would be _so_ nice to be there more for her. Their relationship was the best Quinn could imagine it being, but time was always precious. Beth would discover boys (or girls) soon enough and then her parents would be uncool to hang out with as much as she did. Rachel and her had instilled a deep love for family in Beth, but even Quinn knew that some teenage behaviors were just intrinsic.

As she ran along the path in the unfamiliar park, music pounding loudly in her ears, she thought back over her career and all the circumstances she had found herself in. All her professional decisions led back to one week her Junior year of high school. Thanksgiving week to be precise. That week had changed Quinn's life forever.

And now, almost thirteen years later, she could stand back and be proud of what she had done with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Hate it? Love it? Reviews make me happy!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: So sorry about the wait. Work has been keeping me way too busy. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. If you do, please review. You don't even know how much I love seeing them! Thank you again to all who have been reading along. I know it's been a little slow moving, but I hope you guys still enjoy it!  
><strong>

**A/N2: Re-uploading b/c of some formatting issues. Should be easier to read now.  
><strong>

Chapter 13

A still-sleepy Beth wandered into her parents' bedroom an hour later, hungry again and ready for lunch. She chuckled at the sight of her mother, curled into herself with her laptop open at the foot of the bed. Beth glanced at it and saw the chat window still open. Her parents were such saps.

_Can't even make it a week apart, _she thought cheekily.

She was used to her mothers being overly affectionate with each other, unlike so many of her friends' parents. Though she made a show out of being embarrassed about it in public, she absolutely adored them for it. Their love for each other, their dedication to the family was evident to everyone around them. But the fact Beth loved the most was that it didn't end when they were in public.

Her mom and momma were just as affectionate with each other at home, in front of their children, with other family. It was almost as if they were afraid to let an opportunity to say 'I love you' or 'I need you' or 'I'm proud of you' pass by. Beth hoped and prayed she would find a love as deep as theirs at some point in life. Someone she needed as much as air.

It was eerily quiet in the apartment for once. Both babies were still sleeping, or sleeping again, depending on which way she thought about it. After just one night with little sleep, Beth found herself thankful all over again for her parents. She had heard enough stories over the years of her numerous ear infections and illnesses as a baby and toddler to know she had given them _many_ sleepless nights while they were in high school and college. Beth couldn't imagine what her mom had gone through. She was the bravest person she knew for having the courage to keep her.

Glancing at the bassinet that held Ethan, she lay down next to her mother and gently nudged her arm.

"Momma, wake up."

No reaction. Beth rolled her eyes. Even with two infants, her mother still retained the ability to sleep like a rock. Neither she nor her mom ever understood how she did it.

She nudged her again, a little harder this time.

"Wake up. Wake up. Your children are hungry."

Finally, she saw her mother stirring and could tell she was awake now, though her eyes remained tightly shut.

"You're old enough to feed yourself, baby. And the twins will let me know soon enough they're ready. Just give me five more minutes and I'll be there."

Beth giggled. Only her momma would be able to form coherent sentences like that before being fully awake.

"Okay then, but don't blame me later when they won't go to sleep again."

"Promise I won't. I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

><p>Rachel did eventually wake up all the way, about twenty minutes later. Ethan was alert and awake in the bassinet and she knew his sister was probably overdue for her feeding as well.<p>

She made her way to the kitchen and lifted Ethan into the bouncer he had been sitting in this morning. Grinning a toothless grin at his mother and wailing his chubby arms, Rachel chuckled at her son. At five weeks old, he was already a flirt.

Beth had gone to get Olivia up and was strapping her into the bouncer next to her brothers. The twins looked happy for once, not crying or scared by thunderstorms.

"Quick, Beth, grab my phone. We can email your mom a picture. She'll love it."

"I have mine right here." Beth fished her iPhone out of her back pocket and snapped a few pictures. She selected the best one and sent it to her mom's work email, since she was bound to check that one at least once a day during a work trip.

"K, all done."

"Thanks, baby."

"No problem. How's she doing? I saw your chat window open."

"Checking up on me, huh? I think those roles have not reversed yet." Rachel scolded with false sense of seriousness.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Now how is my mother?"

"She's great. She got some news about a new position, but she doesn't have a lot of details. She's supposed to be emailing me some more information later today, then we can talk about it."

"What kind of position?"

"A teaching position at NYU. Apparently your mother is a pretty good lecturer."

"Well, I could have told them that. I've heard her lectures for years."

"Elizabeth Ann, watch the attitude."

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Rachel nodded at her daughter, who looked thoroughly embarrassed at her slip of tongue. She still had Puck's genes and sometimes they showed more than others. Apparently lack of sleep brought the sharp wit out.

"Hey – it's okay, baby. Just watch it next time, okay?" She walked over to her daughter and gave her a tight hug, pouring reassurance into it.

"We're okay, I'm not mad." Another trait Beth inherited from Quinn was a need for encouragement at times. She was confident and secure in who she was raised to be, but sometimes she just needed to be held.

"Now, what do you say we get these two some lunch and then we can go to the park?"

Beth grinned at her mother, the seriousness of the moment gone.

"Sounds great. Can we stop and get pizza on the way home for dinner?"

"Beth, you just had lunch."

"So? Just planning ahead."

* * *

><p>In Seattle, Quinn was stepping out of a long, hot shower into the now steamy bathroom. She didn't have any more answers now than before her run, but at least she wasn't feeling as jetlagged anymore.<p>

She still had a while before her sessions this afternoon and hoped to pour over the job offer some, email her wife about the details and possibly grab some lunch as well.

Quinn booted up her computer at the small desk and wrapped herself in the huge, fluffy white robe. For the first time since arriving in Seattle, she felt relaxed, even with this huge decision looming over her head. She brought up her email and her eyes fell on Beth's name and she sighed.

She missed her kids, plain and simple. Even though Beth was turning into a young adult faster than Quinn or Rachel were comfortable with, they were proud of who she was becoming. She was everything Quinn had hoped and more when she held her in her arms in that nondescript hospital room so many years ago. Sometimes, she still had a hard time believing she had the privilege of raising such an amazing daughter. She made a mental note to tell Beth more often how proud she was of her.

Finally pulling herself out of her thoughts, she opened the email only to sigh again. The picture of the babies almost brought tears to her eyes, it was so precious. Quinn swore she could see how they had grown in the three days she hadn't seen them.

_I am so never flying across the country again without them_, she though as the clicked a few times and opened a reply to Beth.

_Baby, thank you so much for the photo – the only thing that would make it better is your pretty face. I miss you all so much. Momma said you've been great with the twins – I'm so thankful I don't have to worry about them. I'm proud of you, you know? You're turning into a beautiful, strong young woman and I'm really happy to call you mine. Can't wait to see you all Friday. Love you, Mom_

As she hit send, Quinn knew she was going to get an earful from Beth about being a sap, but she didn't care. She and Rachel had never tried to hide affections from her and she was used to it. Life was too short _not_ to say those things.

Quinn knew that all too well.

She glanced over her other work-related emails and found nothing urgent. Chief Williams had sent the job offer over as promised and Quinn found out "pretty soon" in his words meant before she left Seattle. They would take a later answer, but she couldn't start during the summer months and learn the ropes.

_Great, just great,_ she thought as she took her reading glasses off and leaned back in the chair. With her eyes closed and hands behind her head, she thought long and hard about the offer. What it would mean for the kids, for her marriage, her career. What she wanted to do with the rest of her life. What really was important to her?

She thought back on why she was a doctor to begin with. Why she chose this lifestyle, rather than take the money Rachel had given her and lived the high life with Beth. Why she loved getting up and going to work.

Because of Thanksgiving week Junior Year of High School.

* * *

><p>The first three months of school were a blur for Quinn and Rachel. Adding to all their already existing commitments, Rachel's audition videos for early admission to Julliard were due before Christmas. The diva spent any available free time at the school rehearsing possible song selections, and then would race home to spend time with Beth before she went to bed. Quinn would spend the hours after Beth's bedtime reading and staying on top of her homework.<p>

Their romantic relationship had taken an unofficial backseat to life. Rachel thought Quinn was going to ask her out on that "official date" she had mentioned over breakfast so many months ago. Quinn thought Rachel was stressed enough already with the pressures of Julliard, school, Glee and Beth to bring it up. They assumed the other one would bring it up when they were ready and over the following months, neither did.

It wasn't that their feelings had changed. Both very much wanted to be in the other's life, permanently. They still shared shy glances over breakfast and in the halls. They still had late night talks on the weekends, though they mostly focused on school and Glee now. They were both painfully aware they needed to talk further about what their relationship meant. To them, to the little blonde angel they both loved so much, to the rest of their family.

Quinn had even gone so far as to consult Santana for help the week before Thanksgiving. In hindsight, it was probably not her brightest idea, but she did miss her bitchy former best friend and they had met up at the mall the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Quinn had Beth with her though and the Latina girl was clearly out of her comfort zone with the baby around. She declined Quinn's offer to let her hold Beth numerous times and eventually her daughter fell asleep in the stroller, bundled under at least four blankets. Rachel had made sure she was adequately protected from the intense cold that had hit Ohio. Thanksgiving was shaping up to be an icy holiday this year.

The two former best friends walked together in tense silence. Quinn thought this might have been the first time Santana had not insulted her five minutes into hanging out together. Maybe silence was a good thing.

"So you still think you did the right thing?" Santana finally asked.

_Yeah, silence is definitely better._

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, though she knew full well what her friend was referring to.

"Keeping her. Changing your whole life around. Just seems so extreme, even for you. I mean, this is the first time we've hung out since school started back up. We never see you while we're at school, 'cuz you're with the geeks now. And Glee you're hanging out with the midget most days. It's like you're someone totally different."

Quinn mashed her lips together as they kept walking in silence. Last year, she would have said something equally as cold and hurtful in response. But one look at her daughter reminded her she didn't want to be that shell of a person anymore.

Quinn Fabray had changed, alright, but she was becoming a person she actually _liked_.

Not the person she had always been expected to be.

She gathered her thoughts before looking at her friend.

"I guess you could say I am. She's changed everything, you know. The way I look at life, family, love. It just makes sense now. So to answer your question, yes, absolutely. I can't imagine not having her with me. It scares me to think about what could have happened."

"Are we talking about the baby or the midget now?"

_Leave it to Santana to pick up on that._

"Their names are Beth and Rachel. You could try using them, S. It doesn't hurt."

"Whatev. I still can't believe you actually named her Beth. Puck's a dick."

Quinn had to agree with that one. The girl's father had returned from his stint in juvenile detention as if nothing had happened. He just showed up to Glee, started jamming with the band and went back to chasing any girl willing to give him the time of day. He didn't ask about Beth, talke to Quinn or seemed to want to change at all.

Quinn had sought him out a few weeks later and the gist of their conversation was that as long as Rachel Berry was a parent figure in his daughter's life, he didn't want to be part of it. Quinn had told him that would probably be forever then, surprising herself with the conviction in her voice. He looked at her intently for a split second, then shrugged and walked off. That had been their first and only conversation about their daughter.

"Well, at the time it seemed right. Now I can't imagine calling her anything else. It suits her."

"How can you tell? She like, sleeps all the time."

Quinn just laughed. She hoped Santana would have children of her own one day and realize just how false that statement was.

"I'm her mother. I can tell." She simply answered, pride shining through her voice.

Santana ignored her.

"I guess. So anyway, why are we here? Not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, but it's been months."

"Got somewhere better to be? Brittany could have come."

"She's with her boyfriend." The Latina answered in a sneering tone.

"Oh. Ok. Everything alright?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Not like you have shown any interest to what's been going on around you the last few months."

"Well, I'm sorry if I've had my hands full. And that goes both ways, S. You didn't come knocking on my door this summer either."

"Because you were playing house with the midget. I was just waiting for you to come back to planet Earth."

Santana had now raised her voice and they were drawing some attention to them. Quinn had stopped walking and glanced at Beth, who was still fast asleep. At least the girl wasn't frightened by the Latina. Neither was her mother.

"Listen, _Rachel_ has been nothing but kind to me. I can't even count the number of nights we didn't sleep this summer and since school started and she never complains. Beth would be with some strange family, God knows where, if it wasn't for her. I owe her everything. I owe her this." She finished pointing at the small infant between them.

"So your life before was all a lie? C'mon, Q. You had it made. Why give it up?"

Quinn stared at the girl in front of her, not sure how exactly to answer that. How do you explain the feeling she had when she held Beth the first time? To someone like Santana, who breathed insults and didn't care about anyone but herself.

"S, I didn't give up anything worth keeping. I gained everything. Everything I didn't even know I wanted."

"And the midget?"

"Her name is Rachel. She's part of that, yes. I just don't know how much part of it yet."

"But you like her?"

Quinn sighed. _Might as well fess up earlier than later._

"Yes, very much."

"You do realize I could send one text and the whole school would know by tonight."

"So do it. I really do not care about that anymore. It's hard to understand, I know, but I've learned what's important. And popularity and gossip do not make the list."

"You think that's realistic? You're barely seventeen, you have a kid, your living with Berry and you might be gay for her? You think that has a future? High school relationships _rarely_ last, but Q, you have all the odds against you."

"Gee, S, thanks for the heart to heart. Good to know you got my best interest in mind. Since when do you care about anyone but yourself?"

"I'm so out of here. You have fun living happily ever after. Don't come crying to me when she goes to New York and leaves you behind."

The Latina stormed off in the exit's direction, leaving Quinn and Beth. The young mother's eyes filled with tears because unknowingly Santana had hit on Quinn's biggest fears.

They _were_ only seventeen. And Rachel was going to New York, no doubts about that. Quinn still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. She didn't want to go to New York chasing after Rachel if their future was uncertain. She didn't want to stay in Lima or Ohio if Rachel wanted her in New York. She was so utterly confused at times it made her head and heart hurt. All she wanted was to talk to the brunette about it, but she was afraid to bring it up again, to distract from Rachel's focus on Julliard.

A gurgle and laugh pulled Quinn's attention to the stroller in front of her. Beth's grey eyes found her mother's and she laughed again, oblivious to the emotional turmoil Quinn was experiencing. Quinn wiped her tears away and leaned over to caress Beth's cheek with one finger, a gesture the child loved.

"Thanks for cheering your mom up, baby girl. Why don't we go home where it's nice and cozy and take a bath?"

As if she understood, Beth started laughing louder, drawing a laugh out of Quinn as well.

"Okay, you agree. Let's go then."

With more questions than before, the blonde made her way out of the mall and arrived back at the Berry home thirty minutes later. Rachel's car was missing from the driveway and Quinn assumed she was back at the school rehearsing.

_I really need to figure this out before it's too late._

But, how to go about it was the question Quinn had no answers to.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I know, it's been forever and I'm turning into one of those authors who updates not nearly often enough. And this is only a short one today. I don't really have any excuses other than that the new job has been hectic and I've had major writers block. Please review or send me a message if you like it or hate it. :) Enjoy! **

Chapter 14

On Tuesday, Quinn was no closer to knowing what to do than she had been at the mall that weekend. She had even researched potential songs to serenade to Rachel during Glee, thinking it was a sure way to get the girl's attention again. She had found numerous possibilities, but then decided against any grand public gestures.

Their relationship had started in private moments, during late nights and brutally honest talks. Quinn didn't want that to change, so serenading would have to wait until they talked just the two of them.

Her outing with Santana hadn't given her any more confidence either. Not for the first time since her conversation with her former best friend, she wondered if the brash Latina had been right.

High school relationships never lasted, did they? And high school relationships between two girls probably really never lasted. And gay high school relationships involving a child? Who was she kidding?

Her doubts were beginning to get the best of her.

Quinn mentally chastised herself – this wasn't like her. She never allowed emotions and doubts to rule her decisions, but when it came to Rachel she was at a loss. Her cool demeanor and confidence were reduced to a stumbling mess. The girl would either make her the happiest or the most miserable she'd ever be in life.

So, as she drove to Lima General to pick up Beth from daycare after getting out early for the long holiday weekend, she wrecked her brain. How were they going to move forward, or even just get back to where they were that first week of school? They had admitted mutual attraction, maybe even love. They agreed to take it slow; to make sure their feeling were real. They both didn't want to get hurt, or worse, hurt Beth. But now, it seemed they were at a standstill. Again, she was at a loss.

She checked the time on her dash; it was not even 11am. Why had they even had school today?

Rachel had stayed behind yet again to work on her Julliard audition songs, having narrowed them down to a list of ten songs.

Five Broadway classics and five Glee songs.

She was still looking for the one song which would "_set her apart from the competition_," as she had put it. Quinn had given her so many suggestions, she wasn't sure that song even existed.

Even with all the conflicting emotions going on, Quinn was looking forward to having the rest of the week off. She was craving quality time with her daughter, something she had sorely missed since school had resumed. She was beyond grateful to have had the first few months with Beth in the privacy of the Berry home, away from judgmental adults and peers alike.

It had given her a quiet confidence and solid foundation to stand on as a mother, even if she had only been sixteen at the time. Now, she was seventeen, felt about twenty-seven and wanted nothing more than to get her baby girl, take her home and hold her until Monday morning.

_Yeah, that would make this a good holiday, _she thought with the ghost of a smile on her lips.

She was so lost in her thoughts about Rachel and Beth; she didn't notice traffic hadn't moved for the last thirty minutes. A quick glance at the clock on the dash confirmed it was now indeed 11:30am and she was no closer to Lima General. Of course, being stuck behind all the yellow school buses taking students home early from all of the city's schools hadn't helped either.

She sent a quick text to Hiram to let him know she was running late. They were supposed to grab lunch and then were meeting Leroy and Rachel at home later. They all had agreed they were overdue for some family bonding.

Quinn frowned when he didn't respond; that wasn't like him. Though Quinn knew Beth was in good hands at the daycare, she would be more comfortable knowing Hiram had picked her up when she had been supposed to. Now, they daycare workers probably thought she was a bad mom for not picking her daughter up at the appointed time.

_Again, stop it with the doubts, Fabray. Get yourself together._

At last, she saw an opening and pulled into a parking lot across from the hospital. The hospital's lot was teeming with way more ambulances than usual. She had been there enough times during the previous three months to know Lima General wasn't exactly _busy_.

She had also learned cutting through the small ER was the fastest way to get to the daycare center, rather than going through the front doors of the hospital. The nurses and doctors there were used to her by now and she even stopped and talked with one of the older nurses every once in a while. The staff was always happy to see Beth too and asked about her.

Today though, as she walked through the sliding doors, chaos greeted her. There were people literally everywhere, most of them with frantic looks on their faces, grabbing nurses and doctors by the arm as they rushed in and out of exam rooms and from bed to bed. Quinn couldn't make out what they were actually saying, the noise of all the voices combined making it too loud for her to understand what was going on.

Quinn couldn't move forward for a full minute, taking in the confusion around her. She stood by the doors and scanned the room for any familiar faces, finally seeing one of the nurses who always asked about Beth across the room. Quinn had never seen her without a smile on her face before today. Now, the nurse's face was set with grim determination, but something else was written all over her face. An unbearable sadness she hadn't been ready to deal with. Again, Quinn wondered what in the world was happening.

Then, the friendly nurse caught Quinn's eye and made her way to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into one of the quieter corners. Quinn's eyes were still all over the room, taking in the many closed curtains and finally distinguishing the cries of _children_.

"Quinn, you really need to get out of the way. We have a situation here."

"I can see that. What's going on?"

Again, the nurse looked around, uncertainty written all over face.

"Look, you're a mother, so I think you can see what these people are going through," she said with a sweep of her hand over the mass of people waiting in the ER.

And Quinn could see it now. It was worry, helplessness and agonizing anxiety. These people were parents, fearing for their children's lives, she knew beyond a doubt in her mind.

This would be what she would look like if anything ever happened to Beth.

"Is Beth okay? What happened?"

"She's fine, probably still napping in the daycare. There's been a pileup involving some school buses coming back from a field trip this morning. The streets were supposed to be salted for that ice storm that came through yesterday, but I guess they missed some spots. We're the closest hospital so they're bringing everyone here, but we really can't handle all of them. We're in over our heads, honestly. It was all elementary kids."

She paused, the tears now evident in her eyes.

"It's bad, Quinn, really bad. They're bringing in a couple more and we've already run out of beds here. You better get Beth and then go home. Hiram's tied up in surgeries for the rest of today."

The blonde felt herself nodding, then the nurse was gone, but Quinn was frozen to her spot in the corner, unblinkingly staring at the distraught parents in front of her.

Just as she had had gathered herself enough to move out of the ER, a loud commotion rang through the door she was standing next to. Quinn turned to look through the glass, curiosity getting the best of her. She inhaled sharply at the sight – five people were frantically working on a small blonde girl lying on the bed, unresponsive as far as Quinn could tell. Her clothes were cut open, she had a neck brace on and one of the doctors was trying to shove a tube down her throat, presumably to help her breathing. Another was giving the girl chest compressions and yelling at the other people in the room.

Quinn heard him say he wasn't going to lose another one.

Which meant children had already died today. Children who were supposed to go home for a long weekend. Children whose families were ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with them and then pick up their Christmas presents on Black Friday. Children who would never see another holiday.

Quinn suddenly found it hard to breathe, but she couldn't take her eyes off the little girl, silently willing her heart to start beating again. She looked _so much_ like she imagined Beth would look in a few years.

She didn't know how long she watched them work on the girl. She just knew that at some point, the doctor stopped his compressions, shook at his head and with a look at the clock, called time of death. The team stared at the small body in front of them, all obviously shaken by the day's events.

Quinn stood aside from the door as the doctor she'd been watching left the room, scanning the open area for the child's family.

She knew she should look away, but she couldn't. Not when the doctor took the girl's mother by the arm, not when he spoke quietly to her, not when the woman started screaming and sobbing uncontrollably and not when her husband took her in his arms, tears silently streaming down his face.

As the chaos continued around them and the doctor hurried away to the next child, this family's life had forever been changed. Quinn knew it was a private moment, but she couldn't tear her gaze away.

She felt physically sick watching these parents grieve; heavy tears starting to form in her own eyes. Quinn had no recollection of Hiram touching her arm and leading her out of the crowded ER into the hallway close to the daycare. All she could remember was suddenly being engulfed in two strong arms she had cried in more times she cared to admit. And here she was doing it again, breaking down for the loss of a family she didn't even know. Crying over child who looked so much like her own baby girl, safe and sound and _alive_ just down the hall.

"Shh, you're okay. I got you." Hiram whispered quietly, holding her close and letting her weep over a family's loss she didn't even know.

Finally, she gathered herself enough to look at him. Hiram pulled back and when she looked at him, she almost lost it all over again. He, always so positive and smiling, had a grim look on his face, the harsh reality of the situation written plainly on his face.

"That girl. She looked like Beth."

"I know. I know, sweetheart. They're all so small."

"What can I do? There must be something I can do."

Hiram looked at her intently. What could he tell her? That the ER had not been prepared for this level of disaster? That the hospital's staff was inadequately trained? Did he need to burden her with the fact they could have saved more if things had been different?

"Sweetheart, there's nothing left to do. We're doing all we can, which is not much. Get Beth, go home and lets all realize what we have to be thankful for this week."

Quinn didn't move. That was it? That was all he was telling her to do? There must be something else she could do_. Anything._

"No, that's not good enough. I have to do something, Hiram. I have to. I don't know why."

Sighing he looked at the girl he had come to look at as a daughter. Teary eyed, tired, beautiful and for the first time in a long time determined about something else beyond Beth and Rachel.

"Okay then, tell you what. There's nothing you can do here right now. But I promise - we'll talk about it this weekend. We'll figure out how you can help. Okay?"

She nodded, still not satisfied, but realizing she would be in the way more than anything if she insisted on staying right now.

"Okay, now go get your daughter. I'm sure she's ready for a hug from her mom."

He gave Quinn another hug and then ushered her down the hall to the small daycare. He stopped at the door, saying he'd be late today but should still have the long holiday weekend off. Before he left, he promised her again they would talk later. Kissing her cheek, he hurried down the hall as his beeper went off.

Quinn looked after him, finally snapping out of her daze. She'd have to thank Hiram later for getting her out of the ER. She wondered how he'd known she was there. Yet, as she walked into the daycare and laid eyes on her peacefully sleeping daughter, all other thoughts left her.

Beth was safe, and healthy and _hers_.

Apart from the day of Beth's birth, Quinn hadn't felt this strongly for her daughter before. She didn't know if it was witnessing the unbearable loss of a child, or the overall devastation that hit her when she entered the ER – or if it was just the fact that she could take Beth home and love on her for as long as she was able.

Quinn didn't think she could love Beth any more than she already did, but as she got her safely tucked away in her car seat and drove to the Berry home with the utmost caution, she struggled to keep her emotion in check.

And when they arrived home, she took Hiram's advice to heart, and held her daughter for all she was worth.

And finally realized who else was worth fighting for, no matter what.

* * *

><p><strong>Love it? Hate it? Review :)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I was fighting some serious writer's block. Then I got inspired and wrote this chapter in one day. I'm pretty excited for it, so please review and let me know what you think! **

Chapter 15

Rachel arrived home later than usual that evening, having taken full advantage of the empty auditorium to go over her Julliard performances. She had been looking forward to getting home early and spending time with Quinn and Beth, but when Brad finally told her it was time to go home, it was already past the infants' bedtime.

She had cursed herself; this type of thing had happened too many times in the last few weeks.

Rachel had been working on her audition tapes tirelessly, but if she was honest with herself, her efforts were half-hearted. She knew the reason it was taking so long to narrow her song choices was that she was not committed one hundred percent to Julliard anymore. Yes, Broadway was her dream, but that was when that was all she was living for.

Now, her life was about so much more.

Still, Rachel wanted to do her best and had thrown herself into the audition process. The song video was the last piece and it needed to be perfect. She just couldn't find the one song she knew was out there to set her apart. The song that would showcase she was a performer and an actress, but also that she had heart and soul and passion.

The problem was, her passion was not just for music anymore. Her desires not to make audiences love her, but to make a beautiful blonde happy. To love a little girl she might as well call her daughter.

She knew she'd been avoiding talking to Quinn on a certain level. If anything, her feelings had only grown stronger since school started, even with opposite schedules and commitments. Life had just happened and Rachel knew they were long overdue for a talk.

She also knew that she wanted to take this long weekend and get back to where they had been this summer. She owed Quinn an apology for her hesitation.

What if the blonde had read into it as doubt? What if Quinn wasn't interested anymore? What if she would take Beth somewhere else when they graduated and Rachel was destined to be no more than the cool aunt they saw on occasional holidays and birthdays?

Having been lost in her own thoughts, she finally noticed how eerily quiet her house was. Usually, her dads and Quinn were home, making dinner or talking in the kitchen, rehashing their days, waiting on Rachel to arrive. The brunette realized she missed joining in these easy conversations that had been part of everyday life during the summer.

Now, she was always busy and Quinn had more homework to do after dinner and when she had free time, she wanted to spend it with Beth.

_Get it together. It's not like she's moving out tomorrow. You have time. And where is everyone?_

She dropped her bag by the door, took off her heavy jacket and made her way through the living room into the kitchen. Everything looked just the way it did when she left this morning but neither her fathers, Quinn or Beth where anywhere in sight. Finally, she thought to check her phone. Sure enough, there was a text from her father.

_Baby girl, your dad had to work late. Gone to take him dinner. We'll be late. _

Well, that was cryptic and not typical at all. Her daddy was usually one to write paragraphs in texts, not unlike herself. The evening was turning more interesting by the minute. She walked with her head down typing a reply to her daddy when something caught her eye as she was about to take the stairs to find Quinn.

Her heart dropped when her eyes found the stark white envelope on the bottom of the step, her own name written in elegant script she would recognize anywhere in the world.

Was she too late after all? Had Quinn moved out? Had she taken Beth?

Picking the envelope up and holding it tightly in her hand, Rachel looked up the stairs and strained to hear _anything_, but finally she came to the conclusion that the house was truly empty. Silence was something she was unused to since Beth had entered her life and she found she did not like it. Not one bit.

Silence right now meant uncertainty, and she like that even less.

With a heavy heart, she sat down on the bottom step, turning the envelope over and over. She had sinking feeling life was about to change, for better or worse. Taking a deep breath, willing her heart to slow, she ripped it open and took out a folded card, in the same pristine white as the envelope. Her gaze lingered on the printed lyrics on the outside flap.

_Too much of anything can make you sick  
>Even the good can be a curse<br>Makes it hard to know which road to go down  
>Knowing too much can get you hurt<em>

Is it better, is it worse? Are we sitting in reverse?  
>It's just like were going backwards.<p>

With her heart beating almost out of her chest now, she opened the card to see Quinn's graceful handwriting inside.

_Rach –_

_Please forgive me if I'm being dramatic, but I didn't know how else to get your attention. Something happened today that had made me re-evaluate a lot of my priorities, but I'm not quite ready to share it with you yet. I'd like you to play a game. Will you play, for me? I promise it will be worth it._

_If you're up for it, go see Tyler and he will tell you what to do next. _

_Me_

_PS: Beth's with your dads for the night so don't worry about her. _

Rachel re-read the note five times before grabbing her coat of the rack and bolting out the door. She had to get downtown Lima and see a boy.

* * *

><p>Almost an hour later, she found herself staring at the small Vegan restaurant her and Quinn had had breakfast at what seemed like an eternity ago. Tonight, the place looked warm and cozy and as Rachel stepped inside, Tyler Johnson seemed to immediately appear on her side. He looked just as she remembered him, as if three months hadn't passed.<p>

"Rachel, right?

She nodded, for once not sure what the right words were. She was still nodding when he handed her another white envelope.

"Quinn left this for you and told me to give you some Vegan hot chocolate for the drive. Why don't you have a seat while I get it?"

"Thank you, Tyler. Yes, I'll do that. Thank you."

Rachel knew she sounded like an idiot and she was _fairly _certain Quinn wouldn't tell her she was moving out through this elaborate scavenger hunt, but she still wasn't sure what to think. So, with Tyler heading to get her beverage, she sat down at a small table facing the window and ripped the envelope open, eager to read its contents.

She paused again on the printed words on the outside of the card.

_I know where I want this to go, driving fast, but let's go slow  
>What I don't want to do is crash, no<em>

_Just know that you're not in this thing alone_  
><em>There's always a place in me that you can call home<em>  
><em>Whenever you feel like we're growing apart<em>  
><em>Let's just go back to the start<em>

She opened the card and was greeted by a longer note from Quinn. Tyler appeared with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and she smiled at him before bending down to read. Quinn was taking care of her without even being with her. Rachel couldn't wait for what this note said.

_This is where it started for us, didn't it? I technically should have sent you to Lima General since that's where you became my knight in shining armor, but this place is where I was brave enough to tell you about my feelings. _

_They haven't changed, you know? I still really would like to take you on a real date, to move beyond this awkward phase we find ourselves in. _

_You're the person I want to be next to, all the time. When good things happen, when Beth laughs, when she cries, when we graduate, when you win the Tony. _

_I'll never want anyone else, I'm sure of it. _

Rachel stopped here, because her eyes were filled with tears now and she was sure Quinn would come and sit down next to her, lean in and finally kiss her like she had been dreaming about. When the blonde didn't magically appear, Rachel kept reading.

_Please bear with me on this journey, I promise you it's worth it. Go to your favorite guilty pleasure store and find our album. If you buy the right one, you'll get another letter. _

_Me_

Rachel snorted through her tears; of course Quinn wasn't going to make this easy on her.

_Well, Rachel Berry is always up a challenge, _the brunette thought, getting up and smiling at Tyler as she waved goodbye and started walking toward the shopping district. It was almost 9pm now and she had to hurry if she wanted that next note.

* * *

><p>The bell sounded loudly when Rachel entered the vintage record store next to the Lima Bean. No one except Quinn and her dads even knew she liked coming here and discovering old and new music; most people just assumed show tunes was all she listened to.<p>

The owner knew her by name and smiled a knowing smile at her when he saw her come in. Rachel headed to the counter, her brightest fake smile on her face. She wanted to see Quinn and hoped to speed this process up just a bit.

"Jimmy, how are you? Ready to get out of here, I bet! I think you have something for me. I'll just take if off your hands and then I'll be going."

But Jimmy had known Rachel long enough to expect this one.

"Not so fast, Miss Diva. I think you have to work for this one," he said, holding up another white envelope with Rachel's name written clearly on it.

Rachel knew a lost fight when she saw one, so she turned around and made her way through the narrow aisles. _Their album?_ They didn't even have a song, how could they have an album? Was this a test? What if she got it wrong? Would that negate everything Quinn had written?

Rachel wrecked her brain, shoving her hands deep into her winter coat packets, feeling for the envelopes she had carefully folded and placed there. She felt her fingers glide over her key chain when it hit her. _Stars!_

Faster than humanly possible, she located the album Quinn had found online so many weeks ago and brought the vinyl to the sales counter.

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, and asked, "So what's so special about this one?"

Handing him her credit card, Rachel smiled at him, simply saying, "Stars are kind of my thing."

"Okay then, Miss Diva. Always good seeing you. Now here, take your Stars and your letter and get going. Some of us actually want to enjoy the long holiday weekend."

"I'm going, alright. Happy Thanksgiving!"

She made her way back to her car, containing her excitement to read the next thing Quinn had written. She remembered the evening well, the first Friday of the school year and all the two of them had had energy to do was lay on the floor listening to music. It had been simple, perfect. It had been enough and she couldn't believe it hadn't happened since then.

Opening her car door, she threw the bag with the record onto her passenger seat, started the car to allow the heater to come on and finally allowed herself to open the next envelope.

_Anything that's worth having  
>Sure enough worth fighting for<br>Quitting's out of the question  
>When it gets tough, gotta fight some more<em>

Rachel vaguely was piecing together the lyrics, but couldn't for the life of her recognize a tune to go with it. She knew Quinn was telling her they were worth it; they had waited long enough. She opened the card to read Quinn's next words.

_Stars are important metaphors, aren't they? _

_But sometimes I think it's important to remember that even when we can't see them, they're still there. Never changing, constant. Clouds might cover them, or we might forget to look up, but they're there. _

_You've always been there. When I doubted, when I felt I wasn't good enough, you were the one constant, even before I let you in. _

_And now I'm never letting you go. _

_You have one more stop before you find me. Go to where I found my identity before you. _

Rachel was earnestly crying now, wishing she could just have Quinn next to her and _hold_ her. They were just two girls, trying to figure out life the best they knew how to, and here Quinn was being so romantic in the middle of a chaotic week when the best Rachel could have hoped for was a late night talk. With tears streaming down her face, she put her car in drive and headed toward where she had spent much of her high school years, pining after the wrong person.

* * *

><p>The frozen grass crunched quietly under her shoes as she walked the sidelines of the football field. Someone had left the lights on and they brightly flooded the empty stadium, guiding her way toward someone she had not expected to see during this journey: her daddy, holding a bundled up and sleepy-looking Beth, who grasped an envelope tightly in her chubby hand. Leroy was doing his best to keep her from putting the paper in her mouth, not quite succeeding in hiding the relief on his face when he saw Rachel approaching.<p>

"Baby girl, I'm glad you made it. Little Miss Thing really needs to get to bed."

Rachel just smiled at her father, opening her arms wide and taking the infant from him. Beth clung tightly to Rachel, grabbing her hair with her open hand and smiling happily while chewing on one corner of Rachel's envelope.

"Daddy, while I appreciate the gesture, please take her home. I've made it this far, I think I'll be able to finish this alone," Rachel said in scolding tone while cuddling Beth toward her tighter, clearly contradicting herself.

"Well, your hopefully soon-to-be girlfriend," at this Rachel blushed heavily, "is quite convincing when she wants to be. And I'm glad one of you finally decided it was time to move forward."

Leroy had heard what happened earlier that day from his husband and was more than happy to help Quinn with her plan. He had hoped Rachel was ready, but one look at his daughter's face told him he needn't have worried.

"Okay, well, thank you, Daddy. Now, please take Beth home before she gets sick again. It's her first Thanksgiving, she can't miss it!" Rachel said, handing her back to Leroy and keeping the envelope in her own hand.

"We're leaving. And baby girl – take your time. This night is important, but I think you know this already," Leroy said in an unusually serious tone.

Rachel looked up at him and he continued, "This right here, this little girl and her mom – they're what's important, you know that, right? So whatever that letter says, you hold onto it. Broadway or not – we've raised you to know when something is worth it all."

Her eyes watering again, she threw her arms around her father and Beth, kissing his cheek as she nodded against him.

"I know, Daddy. I know. I promise."

"Okay, then. Our work here is done. We'll see you tomorrow morning."

And with that, he walked away from his baby girl, who was growing up faster than he wanted her to, but who was becoming the adults he had always known she could be.

Rachel wiped her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening the envelope, laughing aloud when she fingered the corner Beth had been chewing on. And to think she'd been afraid Quinn was going to take her away.

The printed lines made her breath catch in her throat:

_We gotta fight for this love  
>If it's worth having, it's <em>_worth fighting for_

Trembling, she opened the card and read the words she'd been dreaming of.

_Rach, _

_I know it's forward. I know it's crazy. I know we're young. I know we're both girls and that should be freaking me out. But I don't care anymore. I'm done wasting time and worrying about things I have no control over._

_So - will you let me love you? Will you let me take care of you like you have taken care of me? Will you take a chance and realize what we could have is worth fighting for? _

_I don't want to waste another minute not being with you and trying to figure out our future. I wasted all this time on this field being fake until I found a place that allowed me to by myself and finally realize who I want to be. _

_Find me there. I'll be waiting. _

_Me._

* * *

><p>For the first time in her life, Rachel Berry was nervous walking into McKinley High's choir room. How exactly Quinn had managed to disable to school alarms and unlock the doors was a question she wanted an answer to at some point, but right now she was intently looking at the door she had walked through more times than she could count.<p>

What happened behind this door tonight would change her life, she was sure of it.

Just as she had gathered enough courage to open and walk through the door, the soft sound of someone playing the piano made her stop. Surely Brad was not part of Quinn's plan. She liked the man and all, but this was a private moment!

Determined to tell Quinn they should be alone, she resolutely waltzed through the door when the sight in front of her made her stop in her tracks.

Here was Quinn, beautiful as ever in a simple black sweater and jeans, sitting at the piano playing a tune which Rachel finally recognized.

The blonde looked up as she heard the door open, unsure hazel eyes finding Rachel's chocolate ones. The look they shared spoke volumes between them and Rachel had enough sense to just let it linger. She wanted to tell Quinn so much, but words failed her right then.

They always did during the important moments. Because words just diminished them.

Just as she was about to say _something, _anything to let Quinn know how amazing her night had been, the blonde's voice flooded the room. Rachel walked over to stand by the piano, her eyes never leaving Quinn's.

And as Quinn finished the song she had been singing to Rachel through her letters, one line stood out to the brunette –

_Just know that you're not in this thing alone  
>There's always a place in me that you can call home<em>

Quinn sang the song, tears in her own eyes now as she finished playing the notes. She stood from the piano and walked over to the girl who had quickly become her world, and who would hopefully be her future.

"Rach, I…" But Rachel took her hands in hers and silenced her with one look.

"Let me. Let me say something, okay?" Quinn nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize what we have, what we could have. Tonight has been magical, Quinn. I have no idea why you did it today, but I am so glad you did." Rachel raised her trembling hand to Quinn's face and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Don't cry, beautiful. I feel the same, exactly the same. I don't need fancy dates or grand gestures. You and Beth, without you, none of my dreams are as bright. Nothing is worth having if you aren't next to me," the brunette finished with a whisper and took a step closer to the blonde girl in front of, never taking her hand away from her face.

"I want to be next to you too. When good and bad things happen. And I want to remember to look up and see the stars. With you."

Quinn finally leaned and closed the distance between them, their lips touching shyly and sweetly for the first time. The kiss was the culmination of their night – magical.

And as Quinn smiled into Rachel's lips and wrapped her arms around her before pulling her into another kiss, she thanked God for giving her another chance to get it right. Their lips met again and again, never wanting to stop touching, never wanting this moment to stop.

Finally, when the need for oxygen became too much, they broke apart, foreheads touching with eyes closed.

"Rach, can I ask you something?" Quinn whispered reverently.

"Anything."

"Will you be my girlfriend? Will you let me love you?"

Rachel pulled back to look into Quinn's eyes again, and the intensity and vulnerability she was met with shook her to the core. At that moment, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt there would never be anyone else for her.

"Yes, beautiful. A thousand times, yes."

* * *

><p><strong>The song is Fight For This Love by Cheryl Cole. Love it or hate it? Please review!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: THANK YOU for the reviews, alerts and favorites during the last month. It really means a lot that people are sticking with this story. I'm really sorry for the wait; life and work keep getting in the way. I really hope you guys like this one - if you do, please leave me a review!  
><strong>

Chapter 16

"You look different."

Quinn stiffened at the sound of Puck's voice. The whole of Junior year, he had never addressed her directly or as much asked about Beth.

She took a deep breath to calm her beating heart and flaming temper, but did not turn around to look at him, instead of focusing on cleaning out her locker before they left for Nationals. They'd get back with only one week of school left and she had too many exams to study for to just leave all her books at the school.

"Hey, baby mama. Did you hear me?"

There went the flaming temper. Quinn whirled around and gave the boy her best HBIC stare and was satisfied when he stepped back.

"Did you seriously just call me that?"

"What?"

"You know what, Puck. You think just because we had sex once you now have the right to talk to me? Where have you been the last year? For God's sake, you didn't even come to Beth's birthday party. And now you decide to talk to me? You have got to be kidding me."

"Woah, calm down there. You made your choice, I made mine, okay? I just, I meant you look good. "

Her stance softened; Puck might be an awful father but he was trying to be a friend to her right now.

"Go on, say what you want to say."

"Listen, Q, I know I screwed up with Beth and it's probably too late for me to come in now and be a father. Honestly, I didn't think you had it in you, but you showed us all this year that you are way more than a cheerleader everyone wants to sleep with."

"Um, thank you?"

"What I mean is that you look better, all academic and stuff and still taking care of Beth the way you do. You look different - you are different. All I mean is I'm proud of you, even if I have like nothing at all to do with it."

He cleared his throat and she waited patiently, wondering what else he could possibly want to say to her – this was the most he'd spoken to her since the night of Beth's birth.

"She's good for you. You're good for her. I know Finn and I haven't really been supportive, like at all. But yeah, all I mean is don't let our history mess this up. Anyone with eyes can see you guys are the real deal."

Now she really had no idea what to say. Rachel and their relationship had been the source of so much gossip when they first walked hand in hand into school after Thanksgiving break that Quinn had sort of stopped thinking about what other people thought of them. But clearly, Puck wanted her to know this; she could plainly see how out of his comfort zone he was.

"Puck…thank you. You saying that means a lot. Really." She looked awkwardly at the books in her hand, and was caught off guard when he took them out of her hand, dropped them on the floor and hugged her tight.

"I know I messed up, bad. And I know it's like way too late to ask for your forgiveness and I know I don't deserve it. But maybe this summer, I can try earning it?" He whispered in her ear as he held on tight.

All she could do was nod against his shoulder and do valiantly attempt to hold her tears back. She was thankful most of the students had already left for the day and they were alone in the empty hallway.

Thank God for Rachel and her daily need to stay late and practice.

As she opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of her girlfriend standing at the end of the hallway by the auditorium's open doors. She could see the tears in Rachel's eyes as well and the familiar peace she always had when the brunette was around settled over her.

She untangled herself from Puck and finally looked directly at him.

"Listen, forgiveness can't be earned. If I've learned anything this last year, it's that I don't have to do anything to earn what's freely offered. So yes, I forgive you. But, lets do go slow over the summer. Beth has no idea who you are and I need to know you're serious."

"Yes, Q, of course. Thank you, thank you so much. I won't let you down again, I promise."

"You better not," she said with a grin and then picked up her books and closed the locker. Nationals, then finals and then she'd have the whole summer to spend with her baby girl and Rachel.

She could not wait.

Quinn made her way to Rachel, who was wiping her eyes and had a smile to match the blonde's on her face.

"Everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, everything's good. Let's go get our kid."

* * *

><p>After Thanksgiving, the school year had passed in a blur or college applications, exams and Glee competitions and before Quinn knew what had happened, Beth had turned one, they were on their way to Nationals in New York City and she was in love for the first time in her life. Finally taking the step to ask Rachel to be hers, to admit aloud what they had been holding in for so long – it was nothing short of freeing.<p>

Coming out at school and everywhere else had happened gradually, just like their relationship was still developing. Life didn't slow down at all, even after Quinn finally figured out what mattered most to her. But the difference after Thanksgiving was that they were in it together, they were in the most committed relationship teenagers could ever be in and it showed.

Rachel's dads of course knew by Thanksgiving morning and other than a quick kiss good morning on both their cheeks and a "_Finally_" from both of them, nothing at home changed. Rachel thought it all very anti-climatic.

When they went back to school, everyone noticed immediately. The sea of students was used to Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry being together between classes and before school, but the hand holding and loving looks were new. The gossip mill worked its way and by lunch, everyone was talking about McKinley's newest gay couple and some were taking bets on how long the two girls could possibly last.

Though, as the school year came to a close and the girls were just as clearly in love and affectionate towards each other, the gossip died down and by the time Nationals in New York rolled around, they were just another sickly-in-love couple people rolled their eyes at, but secretly envied.

"Do you think we should have taken her? New York should be experienced at the earliest age possible. That way she won't be too shocked when we move."

Quinn rolled her eyes as she sat down in her seat waiting for their flight to New York to depart. This was possibly the most annoyed she'd been with Rachel since they'd started dating.

"Rach, baby, we'll be busy every single minute during the day and your dads can't go to watch her. She's barely one, she won't be shocked when we move next summer," she repeated for the hundredth time since Rachel had started asking the same question over and over.

"And…I kind of want you to myself in our hotel room. I've wondered what normal teenage couples without kids do at night," Quinn whispered in the diva's ear, breath hot and her voice husky.

Rachel turned beet red and quickly turned her head to see if anyone had heard. But all the other Gleeks were in their own world, not paying attention to the girls.

Per usual, when around Quinn, Rachel was speechless again.

"What? You mean, what?"

Quinn giggled; her girlfriend was too adorable when she was flustered. Which happened a lot lately. She had discovered quickly that once she had started kissing Rachel, there wasn't much else she wanted to do. The two of them were giving Santana and Brittany a run for their money on which couple got caught more in the janitor's closet.

"Baby, I'm not saying we should have wild and crazy sex in New York, so calm yourself. But I'm saying, lets see what happens, okay?"

Despite their all-too frequent make-out sessions, neither of them was ready for sex and they were both relieved to be on the same page when they talked about it.

Rachel's ten-year plan had been amended greatly since Quinn had entered her life, but even she could admit they had a lot more growing up to do before they took their relationship to the next level. Quinn on the other hand was almost terrified of being literally naked with Rachel. Her body wasn't what it was before her pregnancy and though she ran daily, she had accepted it probably never would be again. No matter how many times her girlfriend called her beautiful, she couldn't quite believe it herself.

So for Quinn to be so forward about being alone together in a hotel room made Rachel almost forget why they were going to New York in the first place.

"Well, Miss Fabray, you do know how to fluster a girl."

"You know you love it."

"Of course. I'm a sucker for cheesy lines. And pretty blondes."

"Well, looks like we're a match made in heaven then, beautiful," the blonde in question leaned over again, catching Rachel's lips in a fleeting kiss before the captain's voice came on letting the passengers know to fasten their seatbelts.

* * *

><p>Though Nationals were important to Rachel Berry and a win would look better than an appearance on her resume, she had something else pressing on her mind as well.<p>

Her Julliard audition for early admission had been scheduled during their first afternoon off while they were in the City.

If Rachel was being honest, she had put more effort into the audition than Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals combined and she felt a bit guilty about possibly letting the Glee club down. Their original songs would clearly set them apart from the competition, and Finn's duet for them was beautiful, if not misguided. She could already see the talk Quinn would have with him. Both had been handed the lyrics as they were making their way out of the hotel to go to Rachel's audition.

"Rach, I really think the boy is as dumb as he looks. I mean, these lyrics…does he really think he can get you back like this?"

Rachel snickered, "It's kind of cute when you're jealous," and went back to doing her warm-up scales while the cab took them to Julliard.

"Whatever, he should have known to wait to give these to us until after your audition."

"Do I look worried to you about this at all? He's a big kid, he wrote a nice song, we'll give it our best shot and hopefully we'll win. Now, help me go over my monologue again."

Quinn tore her eyes from the sheet music and looked at her girlfriend.

"You realize what you just said?"

"What? The monologue is important, Quinn. It shows the judges I am more than just a singer, but an actress ready for whatever part they throw at me."

"I mean you're not worried about Nationals, Rach. You think you would have said that last year?"

The diva paused and turned to look at the blonde. Things really had changed, all around and for the better.

"No, I guess not. But then, I didn't really know what was important last year," she said, grabbing her girlfriend's hand and kissing it.

"I love you, you know?" Rachel said, realizing in all their time together, she'd never come out and flat out told the blonde. And again, as with so many things in their relationship, it happened in the most unexpected and most ineloquent way she could have thought of.

It was them. It was perfect.

Quinn only squeezed Rachel's hand tight as tears formed in her eyes.

"I know, baby. I love you."

Their moment was broken when the cab driver told them they were at their destination. Quinn was the first to recover.

"C'mon babe, lets show Julliard who their next big star is."

"Okay, then. Lets do it."

* * *

><p>Rachel's audition went spectacularly, according to the judges, not herself.<p>

Including a recent pop song by a British singer who'd never had a hit in the US was a gamble, but the judges loved her arrangement and the passion that showed with every line sung by the brunette.

Immediately after the audition, one of the judges spoke with Rachel and verbally offered her early admission beginning the following June, with room and board included.

"That won't be necessary, but thank you. Will you be sending me the paperwork for the summer program or can I take it with me today?"

"You can take it with you. But Miss Berry, you must realize New York City is a very expensive place to live. You really should take advantage of our student housing."

"I know, and I appreciate the generosity very much. But my girlfriend will be attending NYU for pre-med and we are actually going apartment-hunting later this week. We'll be buying, not renting. You wouldn't know of any good realtors that know the area's schools well?"

The judge looked at Rachel as if she had two heads. Apparently there weren't many self-supporting students at Julliard.

"Schools? But you just said your girlfriend would attend NYU."

"Correct, she is. But our daughter will be two when we move and will need to be enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program somewhere. Preferably one with a heavy arts emphasis."

If possibly, the judge's eyes became even larger.

"Ms. Berry, you are something else. I have a feeling Julliard just gained one of its more interesting students."

Rachel blushed slightly and caught Quinn's eye as the blonde waited patiently for her girlfriend to finish up.

"I know it's not typical. But my family will always come first to me, and performing second. I'll be the hardest worker you'll ever see, but if my little girl is sick and needs me I'll be leaving rehearsals early. I know my priorities and I hope Julliard can respect them."

"You are wise beyond your years, Miss Berry. We try to teach our students to be well-rounded _people_, not just performers. You're already one giant step ahead of most Seniors here. Let me get your paperwork and you'll be on your way."

"Thank you. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I won't disappoint you."

"No, I suppose you won't."

Rachel smiled at the woman and made her way to the blonde beauty whose large grin mirrored her own.

"So…I take it they liked you?"

"They did. I'm in, Quinn! We did it."

"You did it, baby. I'm so proud of you."

"No, babe. We did. This wouldn't mean anything without you and Beth. Thank you."

"Anytime, beautiful. We'll always support you."

"I know. Now, what do you say we get out of here and actually see some of the sights the others were going to?"

They grabbed the necessary paperwork for Rachel to attend her dream school and were out the door in a New York minute; their dreams finally within grasp.

* * *

><p>Quinn finally slowed down after three days of straight rehearsals and a rather loud confrontation she had with Finn about respecting Rachel and hers relationship after he most likely ruined their chances of winning by flat out kissing the brunette in the middle of their duet. If possible, Santana was even more livid than Quinn and had to be physically restrained from hitting the boy. Rachel just seethed quietly in a corner and let Quinn yell at Finn.<p>

He really did deserve it.

It was Thursday night and they were due to fly back to Ohio early the next morning. Most of the Gleeks were sneaking out past curfew to get drunk and make the best of the disaster that had been their attempt at winning Nationals.

Since neither Rachel nor Quinn drank at all, they had opted for room service and a quiet night in during their last night. Not only had they competed at Nationals, they had looked at several apartments for them to buy and found one they both fell in love with. Rachel's fathers had been given a video tour of the place by way of Quinn's iPhone and they approved of the layout and location to their respective schools. Rachel's trust more than covered the asking price and they decided to buy the place and rent it out until they were ready to move in the following summer.

It had been an exhausting, overwhelming, good week of change for the couple.

As the credit for the movie rolled and the black of the TV was the only source of light in the room, Quinn thought back on all the things that happened to them. She missed Beth more than anything, but she was glad to have these small quiet moments with Rachel while they were in New York. Once they were back in Ohio, finals would keep them both busy until summer break.

"Penny for you thoughts, beautiful," Rachel said as she turned in Quinn's arms and looked at her.

"Just thinking it's crazy we're here right now. Had you told me when I first found out I was pregnant that I would be here right now, I would have had you committed."

"Crazy good, though, right?"

"Really crazy good, baby. Just a lot during the last year. And this week."

"I know. I'm looking forward to summer. I might even sleep in more than once."

Quinn snorted and had to sit up to keep from choking on her laughter. Leave it to Rachel to make a joke when she was trying to have a moment.

"Baby, I love you. I never know what you'll say."

"I love you too, Fabray. Now come here and kiss me."

"Why yes, Ma'am. Happy to oblige."

Their lips met eagerly, finally free from the obligations of performing, auditioning, parenting and growing up. Here they were just two people in love and happy to have this time to explore.

Quinn straddled the small brunette and worked her hand under Rachel's tank top. Her fingers touched hot skin and the noises coming from her girlfriend made the blonde bolder. Tearing her mouth away from Rachel's, she peppered her neck with kisses, leaving a small mark on Rachel's collarbone, causing the brunette to breathe even heavier than before. Quinn's hands kept busy, inching their way to the brunette's breasts and stopping short of her goal.

She stopped her kisses and just looked at the woman beneath her. What she saw in those deep brown eyes was overwhelming. Lust, desire, trust, want and most of all love looked at her and Quinn's world halted. She wanted this more than anything, but so many things in their relationship had been the right thing at the wrong time, or the wrong place and she wanted this one thing to be perfect for them both.

"Don't be mad."

Rachel just traced Quinn's cheek with her hand and looked at her with all the love she had.

"What is it beautiful?"

"I, we can't. I mean, I want to. So much. It's just. I don't…"

Rachel chuckled, happy to finally see the blonde flustered for once. She sat up and took Quinn's hands, kissing her sweetly and reassuring her that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Talk to me. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"So much, Rach," Quinn paused, gathering her thoughts and slowing her beating heart. She needed the next words she said to her girlfriend to be the right ones, for once.

"I know we're only almost-Seniors in high school. But for me, this is it. You're it. I love you and I never want to be with anyone else. I know it'll be hard, with school and Broadway and Beth, but it's worth fighting for. I want this, always."

"Me too, baby, me too."

Quinn took a deep breath.

"Then marry me."

"What?"

"I know it's crazy. I'm not saying tonight or even this year. But go back to Lima as my fiancé. Marry me, Rachel Berry. I'm done wasting time when it's inevitable anyway."

"Is this about sex? Because baby, we don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Quinn leaned forward and kissed the adorable brunette.

"I want to this right, and it might be weird since I have a daughter and obviously didn't wait, but I want us to do this right. I want to wait to make love until we're legally each other's, in the eyes of God and our country and all that. I've always wanted to wait and you're worth that. You're worth everything, Rachel. Marry me and I'll spend the rest of our lives making you happy."

Rachel just looked at the blonde with an awestruck look on her face.

"You really know how to make a girl feel special, Fabray. And how to ruin a good plan."

"Not really the answer I'm looking for here, Rach," Quinn said with a tinge of irritation in her voice.

Then, the brunette got off the bed and went into the en-suite bathroom and Quinn's heart sank. It was too soon, they were too young, they were both girls and Rachel wasn't sure about them. Tears pooled in her eyes and she wiped her eyes.

She called to the brunette in the bathroom, "Rach, forget it. I know it's too much. Lets just forget I said all that."

The diva walked out of the bathroom, and wordlessly took the blonde's hand and lead her to the balcony, overlooking the City's lights. Quinn was avoiding Rachel's eyes for good now, and focused her gaze on the lit-up Empire State Building in the distance.

When she looked over at her girlfriend, the tears in her eyes finally spilled. Here was Rachel, on her knees with a diamond ring in her hand and tears in own eyes.

"Now I had this plan to wake you up for breakfast in the park tomorrow morning and asking you then, but since you had to this now, here it goes," Rachel said shakily, clearly nervous for the first time in her life.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray, you are everything to me. Our daughter is the most amazing thing in my life and without either of you, my life means nothing. I thought I knew what I wanted, but I was so wrong. I know we're young, but I know what I want and so do you. Now will you do me the honor or being my wife, being the mother of my children and living this life with me, no matter what happens?"

All Quinn could do was sink to her own knees, looking into Rachel's eyes and nodding her head yes, not trusting her voice quite yet. Through their tears, they somehow managed to put the ring onto Quinn's left hand.

"It's perfect," Quinn whispered in awe of what had just happened.

"You're perfect. I love you."

"And I you. Always."

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><p><strong>AN: Thoughts? Hit that review button.  
><strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Again, a big THANK YOU to all of you continue to stick with this story and have reviewed/favorited/alerted. It really makes my day to see those emails coming in. In hindsight, I should have probably labeled the chapters past/present - so I hope it's not too confusing to jump back and forth between timelines. As always, please review and let me know your thoughts! **

Chapter 17 

The great City of New York finally was back to normal by Thursday evening. All cell networks had been restored and the forecast for the rest of the week promised much milder weather.

Rachel had talked Beth into taking the twins to the park for a second day in a row to take advantage of the nice weather, though Ethan had been fussy the whole time. She didn't know if he really just missed Quinn that much, but both her and Beth were at their wits end on what to do with the boy.

He wouldn't sleep, hardly ate and cried the whole way home. She hadn't mentioned it to Quinn in their nightly emails, but as she closed the doors to Beth's room and the nursery to make sure the girls got some sleep, she resolved to call her wife as soon as possible.

It was well past 1am and she was eternally grateful Quinn was due to arrive back home in less than 24 hours. A week apart had felt like a lifetime. She knew she was probably being dramatic, but they had been together for so long, her wife not being home felt like part of herself was gone.

Ethan was wide-awake looking at his mother with big eyes, whimpering in the bassinette in their bedroom. Rachel thought a warm bath might calm him. As she ran her hand over his head in a calming gesture, she noticed how warm he felt, even dressed only in a onesie that had been a gift from her fathers, with bold letters saying "_I'm the man of the house_".

Now even more alert to something being wrong than before, Rachel pulled her phone from her back pocket and speed dialed her wife.

Quinn answered right away.

"_The networks finally fixed?" _Quinn asked, clearly sounding surprised to get a call from Rachel this late. Or at all.

"Yes, just a little while ago. I was waiting to have some quiet time before I called you."

Ethan, as if he could hear what his mother was saying, chose this very moment to let out another pathetic whimper. It was as if all fight had left him from the crying he'd done most of the day.

"_Doesn't sound like quiet time. Everything okay? You sound stressed."_

"I am just a bit. I don't want to freak you out, but Ethan's been fussy all day. I thought he might just be anxious for you to come home, but he hasn't napped or really eaten all day. He's been crying of the top of his lungs but now he's just whimpering and he looks so tired, but he's awake all the same. I was going to run him a bath and see if that calmed him, but now he feels really warm to the touch and he's only wearing that stupid manly onesie from my dads. Please tell me I'm overreacting and it's nothing and he's okay."

Rachel was close to tears and out of breath by the time she finished. She remembered feeling this helpless when Beth had ear infections as a baby, but that didn't make right now any easier.

For the millionth time that day, she wished her wife were home. Not moving away from the bassinette, she waited for Quinn to respond.

Quinn was already out of bed and pulling clothes on over her head while she listened to her wife. Her suitcase was packed for her flight the next morning, so she just zipped it shut, grabbed her laptop bag and phone charger and was out of her room by the time Rachel had finished describing Ethan's symptoms.

She was mentally going through all the things that could cause him to be ill, from best-to-worst case scenario. The mother in her was panicking and on the verge of crying herself, but the doctor was much calmer. Her years of training kicked in and she knew she had to be the strong one from across the country right now.

"_Rach, baby. Sit down and take few deep breaths. You're not going to be able to help him if you have a panic attack. I'm on my way."_

"What? I said don't freak out, Fabray."

"_Yeah, because that's clearly working for you. Now, go through it again and start with how he acted yesterday."_

Rachel went through the last two days in detail, while Quinn checked out of her room at the front desk and caught a cab to Tacoma International, praying there would a red-eye flight to New York. She wasn't even sure that existed, but she'd go through ten stops if it got her to New York in the morning.

As she listened to Rachel explain their son's symptoms again, she knew her diagnostic skills over the phone were not going to cut it. She hated to worry Rachel more, but she'd rather be over-cautious than not.

"_Ok, babe. It could be couple of different things. I need to see if I can get on a flight tonight that would put me in New York early tomorrow morning and I'll also call Jake down at NYU. While I do that, get the baby thermometer and take his temperature. Then give him that bath and try to calm him just a bit. Then take it again about half an hour later. I'll call you back in a few minutes. I love you. He'll be okay. I love you."_

Quinn's sure and steady voice helped calm Rachel as it had so many other times in the past. She closed her eyes briefly, and then got up to check on her son again.

"I'll text you the temp – call me as soon as you have a flight back."

"_You know I will. Kiss him for me."_

"Of course. Talk soon."

Quinn hung up and her fingers were flying, texting Chief Walters explaining her family emergency. Next she got on the phone with the airport and explained she was chief of NYU's emergency room and it was imperative she got to New York as soon as humanly possible. She could care less she was pulling rank on a personal matter.

By some miracle, they got her on a direct flight to New York in an hour and she'd be in the City by 7am.

Her last call was to Jake Davis, who was in charge of the ER during her maternity leave and the only doctor other than herself and Walters whom she trusted to examine Ethan and calm Rachel at the same time.

"_This better be good, Q. We're on a different time zone, you know?" _

"I know and I'm sorry. Listen, Ethan is sick and has been acting odd for the past 36 hours or so." She heard the text message sound with his temperature come through as she spoke and glanced at it. 105. Could be nothing, could be everything.

"He's running a fever, but I don't know if it's spiked yet. Rach is giving him a bath and then taking it again. If it's the same in an hour or so, I'm gonna have her come down to the hospital. Can you meet them?"

"_Of course and I'll bring Mandy to keep an eye on Beth and Liv." _

Jake's wife had babysat Beth when Quinn and Rachel had needed some alone time before and the woman was like a sister to her. Having another adult who wasn't a doctor with the girls would probably calm them as well.

"Thanks, J. I owe you. I'll be there in 7 hours."

"_You got it. I'll call Rachel in an hour."_

Knowing Rachel would be on her way to the hospital well before then, she sent her wife's number to Jake just in case. As she hung up, her cab pulled up under the Continental departures gate. Somehow the driver had paid attention to her calls and got her exactly where she needed to be. She shot him a thankful look, tipped him all her cash and was in line to check-in five minutes later.

Only when she had her ticket in hand did she call her wife back.

"I'm on a flight in forty-five minutes. I'll be home 7am New York time. How is he?"

All Quinn heard was heavy breathing and she could practically see Rachel trying to keep her tears in as she waited for her wife to collect herself. She knew it was scary - she was scared herself.

"Babe, talk to me. Please." Finally, the armor she had put up for the last hour cracked and her voice broke just a bit. Her baby boy was sick and she wasn't home to protect him.

"_Mom, it's me. Momma is getting Ethan dressed and we're going to the hospital. I don't really know what's going on. I'm scared."_

By now, Quinn's heart was beating furiously and she had to bite her knuckles to keep from sobbing. Hearing Beth's usually peppy voice so frightened did nothing to calm her own nerves but she knew she had to reassure her oldest daughter right now. Taking a deep breath, she started talking as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry I'm not there. Don't be frightened; Ethan just needs to get checked out to make sure nothing is wrong. Do me a favor and get Livvy dressed and ready to leave. You need to help your momma while I'm on my way. I know you're scared, but it'll be okay. Uncle Jake and Aunt Mandy will meet you guys at the hospital. Tell your momma they'll meet you down at the ER."

She could hear Ethan's screaming cries through the phone and it almost physically made her ill. She had seen a lot during her years of training and finally running the ER. She thought she could handle almost anything.

But it was not the same when it was her own child.

"Let me talk with you mother, sweetie. I'll be home as soon as I possibly can. I love you."

"_Okay, mom. Just, hurry, okay? Here's momma."_

"Rach, baby? What happened?"

"_He just started screaming and then his skin turned really red and he's burning up to the touch now. I don't know how to help him, Quinn. What do I do?"_

"Okay, you need to call 911 right now. Don't take him down there yourself, you need some help. J and Mandy are meeting you down at the ER, I will call him to let him know you're coming. Babe, Beth is frightened, you need to make sure she's okay with Liv. They won't let all of you ride on the ambulance."

She could hear Rachel swear softly under her breath, so out of character it almost made her smile. Almost.

"Rach, hang up and call 911. Tell them who I am and they need to take you to NYU Medical and that you already have doctors waiting for you. I'll call J and have Mandy pick up the girls to bring them down there. Okay?"

"_Okay, I will. I'm just so scared. What if, what if something's really wrong, Quinn?"_

"We don't know anything right now, other than that he's got a high fever and is in pain. We need to get him to the hospital, okay?"

"_Okay, I'm calling right now from Beth's phone. Stay on the line."_

She could hear Rachel talking to the operator explaining Ethan's symptoms, mention Quinn's name and give them their address. She figured the ambulance would be at their home in less than ten minutes.

"_They'll be here soon. I better talk to Beth and let her know Mandy is coming. I'll call you from the hospital. When's your flight?"_

"Leaving soon. If I don't answer, it's because I'm on my way, beautiful. I'll be at the hospital by 7am, no matter what. Just hold on until then, okay? I love you."

"_I love you too."_

And with that, Rachel hung up and left Quinn to herself and her thoughts in a crowded airport lounge with dozens of strangers surrounding her. She had never wanted to be home so _badly_ as she wanted to in this moment.

She texted Jake an update and then pulled herself together long enough to make it to the bathroom, lock herself in a stall and finally let go of the sobs she had been holding in since Rachel's initial call. As the cries ran through her body and she struggled to keep her breathing even, one thought kept running through her mind - nothing good came from a five-week-old baby spiking a 105+ degree fever. She was beyond scared.

She was _terrified._

* * *

><p>Her phone beeped ten minutes later when she heard to boarding call for her flight. It was a text from Beth.<p>

**Aunt Mandy just picked us up. Liv is sleeping still but I'm too worried about E to stay home. Momma looked really scared. Please come home soon.**

Even though she felt like crying again, Quinn knew she had to get to the gate if she didn't want to miss her flight. The counter agent looked at her tear-swollen eyes and told her quietly she had to put her phone away shortly. She just smiled at him sadly as she made her way into the plane and typed a message to Beth while she walked.

_**Boarding right now. So proud of you. Momma is scared for E – give her a big hug when you get there. Tell Aunt Mandy she can take Livvy to my office and keep her there. You have to stay with Momma until I get there. I know it's a lot to ask of you. I'm so sorry I'm not there. I love you. **_

The fasten seat belt sign came on as she hit send and the flight attendant told her she really needed to turn her phone off. Quinn was two seconds away from telling the woman off when her phone beeped again.

**Don't worry. I'm a Fabray – we can handle these things. We'll see you soon. Love you.**

"Miss, your phone. Please turn it off for takeoff and while we're in the air."

"I am, I am."

Quinn switched the phone off after sending one more reassuring message to her wife, though she doubted Rachel was even checking them. Now, all she could do was wait until she landed in her home city and pray her son would be okay.

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to think of better things and somehow her thoughts drifted to the first time she was on her way to New York City. A time when they were young and their dreams were finally within reach, though real life had turned out so much better. A time when the whole world changed for her and Rachel, when they proposed to each other when they were only seventeen without a clue how they were going to make it.

But they didn't need to know_ how_, they just knew they _would_.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Hit that review button! <strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I tried uploading this yesterday, but ff seems to have some issues. I hope this works this time around. As always, thank you for reading/reviewing. I'm really nervous about this chapter and hope I got across what I wanted to say. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think.  
><strong>

Chapter 18 

Rachel was nervous.

Butterflies in her stomach, ninety-nine percent sure she was going to be sick kind of nervous. Which was saying _something_, since she had stood in front of audiences large and small for years now. She had performed for Julliard's judges without so much as blinking, she had finally led the Glee club to a win at Nationals their Senior year following the disaster the year before, had graduated with honors and walked across the stage and accepted her diploma without any incidents. She had even performed the very suggestive rendition of "Push It" in front of the entire student body all those years ago without being anxious.

So why was walking downstairs, entering the backyard and standing up in front of her closest friends and family to take a simple vow making her feel like the weight of the world was on her shoulders?

Because there was nothing simple about it. Nothing at all.

She was ready, she was excited. She wanted nothing more than to be married to Quinn.

Why was she still nervous?

They had dealt with all the doubters when they announced their engagement, assuring everyone they weren't rushing. They were waiting until after graduation, they had a whole year to get used to the idea of being a married couple at 18. They would advantage of the small break in their busy lives between high school and Julliard' summer program to have the ceremony, a honeymoon and finally move into their new home.

Even all the best-laid plans didn't convince some, and Finn had refused to attend. Neither girl could bring herself to care much; they had valiantly tried for a year to be civil with the boy. It was his loss, not theirs.

Still, as Rachel stood in her already mostly empty childhood bedroom, which had turned into their bedroom sometime over the last year, she was nervous. She just wanted things, for _once_ in their relationship, to go smoothly and perfectly.

Because Quinn deserved nothing short of perfect. And Rachel could only pray the rest of her life was long enough to show the blonde how perfect she was. How happy and privileged Rachel truly felt she was marrying her.

"Rach? Baby girl, someone wanted to say hello."

Rachel turned from examining herself in the mirror and her eyes fell on her father who held the other precious thing in her life. Beth was wearing a yellow sundress and had flowers braided in blonde curls. She reminded Rachel of sunshine.

"Momma pretty."

Rachel couldn't help but smile brightly; Beth had never called her anything else. To her, they were her mothers. Plain and simple. Nothing controversial or political about it.

They were a family.

She took the small girl from her daddy, sat her on the floor and knelt down next to her, careful to not get anything on her own dress. She had chosen a simple white silk gown and her shoulders were bare. Her hair was curled similar to Beth's, but pearls had been braided into it.

"Thank you baby girl. You look very pretty yourself. Can I have a kiss?"

Beth just nodded, before falling into Rachel with a big hug and kissing her cheek. Both of them almost toppled over were it not for Leroy catching them as they all laughed.

"Okay, now that my dress was almost ruined. Daddy, you better take her to make sure she has the flowers and remembers to meet Puck at the end of the aisle."

"She knows but I will anyway. How are you feeling?"

"I'm great. No, that's a lie. I'm really nervous. Is this normal? I mean, I know I want to do this, I'm not having any doubts. But I still feel like throwing up. Please tell me this is normal."

Her other father had entered the room sometime during her mini-rant and just smiled knowingly at his husband. Leroy knew Hiram was better suited to have this conversation with Rachel and left the room with a quick kiss to his only daughter's forehead. Rachel smiled at him and then at Hiram.

"What?"

"I threw up right before our wedding. I mean, right before. I was already standing by the altar and had to leave before Lee walked in because I got sick."

"You're joking. And he still married you?"

"It had nothing to do with him, baby girl. It had everything to do with me. I couldn't believe my luck and thought any minute I'd wake up from the best dream I'd ever had in my life. I wanted nothing more than to spend my life with him. I just couldn't believe he wanted to do the same with me."

"Yeah, yeah that sounds about right. I mean, I know she loves me. And I can't even tell you how much I love her. She's everything. I just, just…"

"I know. Rachel – believe me when I say that girl waiting downstairs for you is just as nervous. She has the same feelings. You both feel so much you think it's too much sometimes. That's why you're so perfect together."

By now, she was having serious problems not ruining her make up as tears filled her eyes. How did her dad always know what to say?

"You really think so?"

"No, I just made all that up so we can get this over with," he chuckled. "Of course, baby girl. It's all true. You and her and that little girl have something not many people find in this world. So get down there so you can start living it."

"Okay. Okay then. Let's do this."

* * *

><p>Later, the guests would tell them it was as if they were intruding on a moment too intimate to share with anyone but the person you planned on spending the rest of your life with.<p>

Neither Quinn nor Rachel remembered much of the actual ceremony, other than their vows. Leroy and Hiram went on and on about the beauty of the words the rabbi had chosen for service, but the two women hadn't heard any of it.

Their sole attention from the moment their eyes met was on the other one and for a few precious moments even their daughter disappeared from their minds.

This was it. This was the moment they'd been waiting and hoping for.

Quinn wasn't quite sure how it happened but suddenly it was her turn to say words that had been spoken by a million other people before her and still they seemed inadequate. She had always believed words were powerful and she wanted them to be right in this very moment. She cleared her throat as she gripped Rachel's hands tighter and looked at her with all the love and hope she felt at this moment.

"Don't be mad. And don't cry. Not yet anyway," she began, earning some laughter from their small crowd.

"I'm going against the plan, you can be mad at me later. But you have to admit, this is keeping in tradition with our relationship thus far," Quinn grinned, even as tears were forming in her own eyes to mirror Rachel's. Yet as looked on the woman who had become her whole life, she felt a familiar peace settle on her as began her vows, spoken from the heart, not memorized as had been the plan.

"I don't know if I'll ever find the right words to tell you how many times over you have saved my life. But that's what good friends do, right? And you have always been my friend, even when I didn't want you to be. But that's not enough to bind my life to yours in every way I can imagine. I stand here today because without you, Rachel, there is no color in my day. There is not melody in music; there is no happiness in our daughter's laughter. Without you, dreams are just fantasies not something worth fighting for. Without you, life is incomplete and now I'm whole. For the first time, I feel whole and happy and full of joy. And I'll be damned if I'm ever letting you go. So today, I vow to honor you with my words, my thoughts, and my body. I promise to forsake all others and make a covenant no one can break. I vow to cherish you above all else in this world and to spend every day making you happier than the day before. I vow to love you, as long as you let me. Today, I become your wife. Forever and always," she finished in a reverend whisper, slipping the simple wedding band on Rachel's trembling left hand.

Looking up, she saw Rachel had given up on stopping her tears and was valiantly trying to keep from breaking down altogether. Quinn just looked at her, waiting for Rachel's mind to catch up to all she just shared.

Finally, the brunette felt confident enough to speak.

"You've always been the only person who can leave me speechless. Which is something that usually doesn't happen to me," she said with a poignant look to their guests, earning laughter and nods from all of them, even Santana who was discreetly wiping her eyes. She had become the couple's biggest supporter during Senior year, her own coming out experience giving her a much better perspective on what the girls felt and had gone through.

"Since you didn't stick to the script, I won't either, if that's okay," Rachel earned a nod and a small giggle from Quinn, who waited for her to continue, now that the tears had stopped and she was smiling.

"I never thought today would happen for me. I thought my dreams were too big to include love and family; that fame would be enough and I couldn't have both. But I was so wrong. You taught me that love doesn't mean giving up on your dreams, it means fighting for them. Love means having someone who will share your brightest days and your darkest nights. Someone whose seen my worst side and still hasn't left. Someone who has given me the most precious gift I didn't even know I was missing in my life. Someone who has never lied to me, disappointed me or will ever give up on me. Someone who I want to be better for, every minute of every day. You make me better, Quinn. And I thank you every day for picking me to live this life with. So today, I promise to honor and treasure you above all others. I promise to be faithful to you, to love you with all my strength for the rest of my life. I promise I will try every day to show you how much you mean to me. Today, I become your wife. Forever and always."

As she slipped the ring on Quinn's hand, Rachel lost the fight with her tears again and she only subconsciously heard the Rabbi pronounce their marriage as legal. Through both their tears and smiles, they heard the word "wife" and suddenly all they could do was lean into each other and finally share the first kiss of their marriage. Even through the clapping, laughter and catcalls, they kept kissing as if their lives depended on it. Their arms went around each other and Quinn's grip only tightened on the woman who was finally her wife.

Her _wife_. Life was finally as it should be.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, they found themselves in the back of a limo still kissing. No one had really tried to stop them once it had become obvious there wasn't much use. For the sake of Beth, most of the kisses had been chaste and nothing she hadn't seen before. Once the toddler had been put to bed by her mothers with promises of calls and video chats while they were way on their short honeymoon, Rachel and Quinn had announced they were leaving the reception. Everyone was welcome to stay as long as they wanted, but they had things to do.<p>

That's exactly what Rachel told their guests, much to Quinn's shock. The blonde finally detached herself from the brunette and put on her best HBIC face.

"I still can't believe you said that. Rach, some things are meant to stay private. I don't need Puck thinking about what we're going to do tonight."

"Like he wasn't going to before."

"Good point. Still, would it have killed you not to tell anyone?"

"Hon, people get married every day. I'd wager most people know what happens during their wedding nights. Calm down."

Quinn blushed, honest-to-God blushed and Rachel giggled even more. She leaned in and pecked her wife's lips before settling in for the drive. They had booked a suite in Columbus and then would fly to Hawaii the next afternoon. Hiram had surprised them with a beachside villa that afforded perfect privacy. Both girls had squealed and jumped through the kitchen when he told them.

But first, they had _things_ to do.

Rachel sensed Quinn was still thinking about what was to come and grabbed her hand.

"You know, I'm really glad we waited. I mean, it might seem pointless to some, but I think it's amazing. You'll be the only person I'll ever be with. And I'm the only one you're ever going to be with again."

"You're not, you know, nervous? Anxious?"

"Honestly, I was before the ceremony," Rachel admitted sheepishly. "Dad had to talk to me and calm me down. But now, I'm just so happy. I trust you, you trust me. It's us, baby. There's nothing to be nervous about," she finished and kissed the hand she was still holding.

Quinn nodded and leaned back in her own seat, Rachel's words and touch calming her fears, as usual.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fabray. How does that sound to you? No regrets?"

The name change had been up for no debate in Rachel's mind, and she had finally told Quinn she couldn't wait to see the Fabray name in bright lights on Broadway, Quinn had relented. Arguing had proven futile anyway.

"None at all. How about you?"

"Well, it's always been my name."

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

"We sound like a married couple already, don't we?"

"Speak for yourself. We're not going to be one of those couples who always bicker."

Quinn snorted, "Rach, I hate to break it to you, but we are that couple."

"Well, maybe for tonight, we can at least pretend we're not," Rachel answered, in her best diva fashion.

Quinn's gaze softened as she took in Rachel and really looked at her since they started their drive. The brunette was nervous, whether she was going to admit it or not. Rachel only bickered like this when she was avoiding something.

"Beautiful, I love being that couple. And I love you. I love you're finally my wife, that we waited to do this until we're married and that you respected my wishes. I love that you're the only one I get to do this with. I love I'll be only one you'll ever have. I love you. I love you."

And with that, they were both crying again and had barely pulled themselves together when they arrived at their hotel. Somehow, they got checked in and were directed to their suite without losing it again.

Because _everything_ else had made them cry that day.

Standing by the door to their suite, Rachel's nervousness ultimately got the better of her as her hands were shaking too much to insert the key card. Quinn grabbed it from her with a knowing smile. She opened the door and kissed Rachel as she led her into the room.

"Breathe, baby. It's us, remember?"

"I know, I know. I love you. It's just…Quinn, what is this? Did they give us the wrong room?"

Quinn had directed her into the large master bedroom where every possible surface was covered with tea lights and rose petals, casting the room in an impossibly romantic light. The comforter had been pulled back from the bed and one single red rose lay on the white sheets. Soft piano music was coming from somewhere, and Rachel vaguely recognized the melody being played.

"What? You did this?" Quinn nodded with a grin.

"When? How?"

"Well, not me personally. Brittany and Santana. You didn't notice they left?"

"I just figured they left to have sex somewhere. As usual."

"Well, today they did this. Which is why I was mad when you just announced we were leaving. They needed more time to finish up here. But clearly they did and I got a text while you were checking in they're on their way back to Lima."

Rachel looked around the room, tears yet again forming in her eyes. She had never cried so much in one day. She turned around, words yet again failing her as she found Quinn's bright eyes.

The candlelight made Quinn look like an angel, an angel who was currently biting her lower lip and suddenly looked impossibly shy.

"Good surprise?"

Rachel melted. This girl, this woman, was hers. Forever and always.

"The best, beautiful. This is - it's just amazing. This is so amazing. You are amazing. Now come here."

"I love you, wife," Quinn whispered in Rachel's ear as she stepped into her and just held her for a moment. They had all night and she wanted to remember every second.

"I do love the sound of that. I love you too."

And then, they were kissing again, but this time with a purpose and passion they had carefully kept in check for a year. Soft moans and whispers and declarations of love accompanied their hands finding skin.

Quinn ran her hand through Rachel's hair as her wife slowly lowered the zipper on her wedding dress. She ran her lips slowly over her ear, licked the sensitive spot where it met her neck and then back up. She took her time, driving Rachel insane as she willed her hands to stop shaking so she could finally get Quinn's dress off. Then, she felt the dress being pushed off her shoulders and pooling at her feet. She reluctantly stepped back from the warm body she was holding to step out of the dress. Suddenly, she felt exposed in front of wife and made to cover her nakedness, but Rachel stopped her hands before she got there.

"No, beautiful. None of that, don't ever think you have to hide. You are so so gorgeous. So much better than my dreams."

Rachel stepped closer, her eyes never leaving Quinn as her hands found the blonde's and holding on as tight as she could. She put Quinn's hands where her own zipper was so her wife could undress her. She trembled as she felt the fabric falling to the floor and quickly took off her heels as well.

And then there was nothing at all between them.

As it always had been, as it always would be going forward in their marriage. This was just one more step toward their dreams, one more layer they were peeling away on their journey towards becoming one.

As they tumbled into bed and hot skin met for the first time without any barriers, as tears silently streamed down their faces, as thumbs reverently wiped them from eyes, as hands tentatively traveled south and touched intimate places no one would ever touch again, as lips explored soft flesh and finally as they came together in a wave of ecstasy and joy, one thing was certain – their dreams were coming true.

* * *

><p>Quinn was the first to wake the next morning, Rachel's arms securely snuggled around her waist and their legs tangled together. She could feel the brunette's soft breaths on her neck and as she slowly opened her eyes she could still not believe her luck.<p>

Three years ago, she thought her life was over when she found out she was pregnant. Now, her entire future had changed for the better because of it. All the heartache and worries during the pregnancy were worth it to wake up in the arms of the woman who was now her wife.

Carefully, she turned and smoothed Rachel's hair from her forehead as she leaned in for a soft kiss. Their wedding night had been perfect, better than she could have ever imagined it. They had taken their time, explored and experimented with touch and kiss and words and Quinn had never felt as cherished in her life.

"Mmhh, I could get used to waking up this way," Rachel interrupted her musings sleepily.

"Well, Mrs. Fabray, it's safe to say I will wake you up like this every morning I possibly can. That's a promise."

"One I'll hold you to. Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, wife."

"You like saying that, don't you?"

"Yes, do you blame me? Have you met you?"

Rachel snorted. Leave it to Quinn to joke when she was trying to have a moment.

"What am going to do with you?"

"Hopefully, love me. I'm sorry, I don't mean to joke so much. It's just, everything's turned out so perfect."

"I know, beautiful, I know. Now, no more tears. We've cried enough for a year. I love you."

"And I you, gorgeous."

Rachel leaned in for another sweet kiss, her thoughts echoing Quinn's words. Their past in no way indicated their future. They were together, finally, and would fight for their dreams to come true.

Because they were worth fighting for.

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><p><strong>AN2: This chapter wraps up the flashback storyline - I might revisit it in a one-shot later, but not in this story. After this one, there is one chapter and maybe an epilogue left. Love it? Hate it? Hit that review button!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Well, guys this is it. I really feel like story comes full circle here and it's a good place to wrap it up. Thank you to all of you who read/reviewed/favorited this story. There are so many amazing authors in this fandom and I know I don't measure up to most of them. So thank you for all of you have stuck with this one. I really hope you like this last chapter. **

Chapter 19 

When Quinn finally stepped onto the busy New York sidewalk early Friday morning, she allowed herself for just one minute to take it all in. The early morning sounds of the city had always somehow calmed her after long night shifts at the hospital. She breathed the familiar air in deeply and her mind ghosted over the many memories associated with this place.

Nationals. Midnight proposals. Their first apartment. Beth's first day of school. Rachel's first audition and many more after that. Her graduation from NYU top of her class. Passing her MCATs. Sleepless nights and days at the hospital. Rachel and Beth surprising her with lunch when food was the last thing on her mind.

Deciding to have more kids, and the excitement when they found out about the twins. The joy of holding them for the first time and looking into each other's eyes knowing they were beyond blessed.

Quinn's heart twisted in her chest as she thought of this particular memory. She needed to get to her family.

_Now_.

Hailing a cab and telling the driver to get her to NYU, she turned her phone back on and dialed Rachel's number. Voicemail picked up automatically, which meant it was off or the battery had died. She left a message anyway.

"Babe, I'm in the cab on my way to the hospital. I'll be there in half an hour or so. If you get this, please call and give me an update on E. I love you."

Next was Beth's phone, on which she left another message. Finally, when she was ready to call the ER to talk to Jake, her own battery died.

_This is just my luck,_ she thought angrily, throwing the now useless device into her purse and closing her eyes. Now all she could do was hope Friday morning traffic in New York City was favorable.

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><p>Which of course it wasn't.<p>

Over an hour later and after letting her frustrations out on her innocent driver, then bursting into tears and apologizing to him, she finally made it to NYU Medical. Rather than going through the front doors, she pulled her luggage through the ER doors, garnering odd looks from the people in the waiting area.

She immediately spotted a familiar face in Rebecca, a nurse who came to her side and took her luggage from her.

"Where are they?"

"Dr. Q it's good to see you, though not under the circumstances. Your family has been moved up to floor 5. Jake is in his office if you want to see him before you go up."

If possible, Quinn's heartbeat slowed to an almost standstill and an icy feeling settled in her stomach. Floor 5 was where the pediatric surgery unit was housed.

"Floor 5? What room?"

"I believe 515."

Quinn didn't wait for Rebecca to say anything else as she took off running for the elevator to make it to the fifth floor.

After an impossibly slow elevator ride, she ignored the nurses' station and found herself in front of the door of room 515. Willing the tears away for now, she slowly opened herself and steeled herself for what could possibly behind the door.

Yet, she still almost broke down in sobs when she saw her son lying on a bed far too large for him, hooked up to several IV drips she quickly recognized as low dose morphine and antibiotics and a large bandage covering his lower abdomen. Rachel was sitting next to the bed, her large hand holding Ethan's small one and she had clearly fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Beth was curled up asleep in the second bed and Quinn spotted Olivia's baby carrier in the corner, but her youngest daughter wasn't in the room. She knew Mandy had probably taken her since this had been about the time of day the babies had been waking up. The little girl would have been confused to wake up somewhere that wasn't her home.

Making herself move farther into the room, she stood at the foot of the bed and pulled the chart attached to the bottom of it. Quickly scanning through the pages and lab results, her fears were confirmed and Ethan had indeed had an emergency surgery about an hour after being admitted. His appendix had burst, very uncommon in infants, yet not impossible. According to the chart, the surgery was pretty routine and had gone as expected. He was responding well to the drugs he'd been given and was out of danger.

The surgeon had initialed all pages K.B. – Katherine Baxter, who was head of the pediatric surgery unit and who Quinn knew damn well hadn't been on duty at the hour Ethan was brought in. She could hug the woman.

Quinn's reading was disturbed by Rachel shifting in her chair and she put the chart back in its place. She felt incredibly guilty leaving for the week and having this happen while she was away on a work trip. Rationally, she knew there was nothing she could have done to diagnose Ethan's condition in advance. Yet, the guilty feelings didn't go away and she needed her wife's always calming presence.

"Rach, baby, I'm here," Quinn whispered, pulling a chair up next to the brunette's and putting her hand by Rachel's to hold Ethan's. The boy's fingers twitched and she smiled, knowing the response to stimuli was a good sign he was going to be just fine. This had been a scare, but it could have ended much worse.

"Hey there, little man. If you wanted me home earlier, you could have just said so and not scared your Momma so much. We'll have to have a talk when you're better," Quinn spoke quietly to her son, taking in his small face, button nose and impossibly soft skin.

Tears were now streaming freely down her face, the tension of the past ten hours leaving her body, now that she knew her baby boy would be okay. She felt Rachel stir next to her and without letting Ethan's hand go, turned to her wife.

Rachel looked absolutely exhausted and bone tired, her face tear streaked and hair in a messy bun. Quinn thought she had never looked as beautiful.

Rachel thought she might still be dreaming because sitting in front of her was her beautiful wife, looking every bit as tired, worried and relieved as she herself felt. She glanced at the small boy whose hand they were both holding now and remembered the agonizing night she had and couldn't hold the sobs in any longer. She threw her arms around Quinn and held on tight as she finally let go of the fear she'd been holding in. She felt Quinn's strong and steady hands on her back, their tears mingling together as Quinn hugged her back just as fiercely.

No words were spoken for long moments; both women were just basking in each other's presence and as the familiar peace settled in, they finally looked into each other's eyes again.

They would be okay. They had been terrified and rightfully so, but things would be fine.

"I'm so glad you're here," Rachel said quietly not to disturb their sleeping children.

"I came as quickly as I could, sweetheart. I'm so sorry I wasn't here," Quinn replied just as quietly, but Rachel could still hear the regret and guilt in her voice.

"You couldn't have done anything different. You're here now and he's okay, that's what matters," Rachel replied, pulling back slightly to make sure Quinn heard every word she said. The blonde always had a protective streak to her and she knew her wife was probably beating herself up for not getting to them sooner.

"Everyone here must really like you. I was freaking out when we got here, but the doctors you work with are all really good. They respect you more than you know. He was in the best of hands. So no guilt, Quinn, okay? He might be okay now, but I will probably still lose it again in a few hours and you'll need to be strong for me then. Okay, beautiful?"

Quinn just nodded, her eyes finding Ethan's small body again and biting back another sob. Rachel gripped her hand tight and together, they watched over their son as he rested.

* * *

><p>Ethan was released from the hospital on Sunday morning, with careful instructions on how to care for the small incision. Quinn made sure to have enough supplies at home to last them for a week; she had no intentions of leaving her family's side for a while.<p>

Sunday evening, the events of the week finally caught up with all of them and after tucking the babies in for the night, Quinn made her way to Beth's room, who was double checking her school bag for the next morning.

"You ready for tomorrow, kiddo?"

"Mom, you know I don't like when you call me that. Why can't that name be passed onto Livvy or E now?"

"Oh baby, you'll always be my kiddo. Sorry, nothing you can do about that," Quinn replied with a laugh and stepped into Beth to give her a hug. The young blonde hugged her mother back, leaning into her as she always did.

"I know, I know. Still doesn't hurt to ask."

"Yeah, not going to happen. Sorry. But hey, what do you say you and Momma and me sometime soon take a long weekend off? Since your spring break was kind of awful this year. Once E is fully healed, your grandfathers want to come up and spend some time in the City. I was thinking we could go to the beach somewhere, maybe even Florida?"

"Like Florida, Florida?"

"Is there another one?"

"Oh my God, when? Mom, that sounds amazing!"

Quinn just laughed; Beth was just like Rachel and got very enthusiastic about an idea very fast.

"Soon – we can look at dates tomorrow. I promise. You've been so good with the twins and everything this weekend. I'm just really proud of you and before you go to high school in the fall I want to spend some time with you."

Beth bit back a snarky comment; she knew her mothers had been through a lot this week and just wanted to make her feel special too.

"That sounds awesome, I can't wait."

"Okay then. Now go to sleep, you have school way too early in the morning."

"Ugh, tell me about it," Beth complained as she got into bed and turned her bedside lamp off.

"Good night, kiddo," Quinn chuckled quietly as she closed the door behind her.

"Mom!"

"Are they really all asleep? It's so quiet," Rachel said as Quinn entered their large bedroom. The brunette was reading over the instructions they had been sent home with from the hospital, even though Quinn could probably take care of Ethan's incision without them.

"Yup, all out. And Beth is_ very _excited about the Florida idea. Good one, babe."

"Well, I don't want her thinking we love her any less or we're not going to be there for her as much now. And once she starts high school who knows what will happen? We were both quite the drama queens back then, you know?"

"Speak for yourself, you were the diva. I was just the cheerleader who was secretly in love with you," Quinn snorted as she pulled her favorite NYU sweats on and joined her wife on the bed.

Rachel put the papers aside and focused on the blonde next to her. How did she get so lucky?

"Yeah? Well, it wasn't so much a secret anymore Senior year, beautiful," Rachel replied, leaning into Quinn for a short kiss. "God, I missed you this week. Let's not do that again. Ever."

"Not planning on it. There's something else though," Quinn sat back up before Rachel got too carried away with the kissing.

"What is it?"

"I took the job."

"What? You did? When?"

"Today, I spoke to Walters early this morning when you were still asleep. I know we didn't really discuss it much, but I want to be here more. We've had this crazy scheduled life for over ten years and I loved every minute of it but I think this is for the best. Is that okay? Say something, Rach, please," Quinn finished, suddenly sounding uncertain. This was one of the first times since they'd been married she had made a life-changing decision like this without discussing it with her wife at length.

Then she found herself with an armful of brunette as her wife jumped on her and caused both of them to fall back into the pillows. Laughing, she took in Rachel's grin and knew she had made the right choice.

"It's more than okay, Quinn. You will be an amazing teacher, they are so lucky to have you."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

"You always did believe in me. Even when I didn't think I could do it myself."

"And I'll never stop telling you. I'm so proud of you, babe. I love you."

"And I love you too."

"Now, with the babies and Beth asleep- what do you say we put this quiet time to good use?" Rachel said with a grin even as her hands found their way under Quinn's shirt and inching upwards.

Quinn just leaned up and caught Rachel's lips in a kiss, pouring all the love she felt into it. This was their happily ever after, what they had been hoping and praying for all these years.

Their dreams had come true and had been well worth the fight.

_fin_

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><p><strong>I know I said I might put up an epilogue but for now this is the end. I hope everyone enjoyed this little journey. Please review or PM me and let me know your thoughts!<br>**


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